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If Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that each Arsenal followers have been hoping for, then possibly they will recall this night as the moment his luck changed. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they hit the back of the net.

On the back of nine matches for club and country without a goal and expectations rising on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the offseason, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a deflection off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Shortly after and to the joy of the local supporters, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before the mask,” was given another airing after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I advised Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they went six or eight games without scoring. Failing that, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to succeed in his chosen profession. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to succeed in elite soccer, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said in a recent interview.

Testing Period

Without a goal 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 last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in offense, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Match Highlights

This was plainly visible during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. 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 defender, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the reputation of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

However having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker harried all opponents as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a booking when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an hesitant shot towards goal. At that point it must have felt like the first score would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the masked striker left his imprint. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.