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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that each Arsenal fans have been praying for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the point his destiny turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they find the net.

On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a tremendous feeling of ease swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the excitement of the home faithful, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta raised his fists and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Things are very different. Every footballer globally need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the No 9 I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this standard. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his selected career. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to succeed in top-level football, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He recorded an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his complete game has added a new layer in the final third, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to stand out as he bustled about like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the first few moments was set up by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the reputation of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is vastly experienced at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

However having drawn comments that he was carrying a few too many pounds after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the first score would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the man in the mask made his mark. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.