🔗 Share this article Man in the Mask Gyökeres Silences Jibes to Leave an Impression at the Gunners In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that every Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then possibly they will look back on this night as the point his fortune changed. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they go in. On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a glance 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 Fortune Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” was given another airing after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come. “Such is soccer, and we can’t expect a player to change contexts and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its peak. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the striker I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.” Formative Hurdles When he was just 14 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 make it in his vocation. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to excel in elite soccer, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I think about it often,” he said recently. Difficult Phase Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.” He achieved an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is clearly not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has given Arsenal an extra dimension in offense, even if the chances have not fallen his way. Match Highlights This was certainly in evidence during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed evenly matched. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to stand out as he charged around like a force of nature during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the first few moments was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez. Giménez has the reputation of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to secure the signing. Relentless Effort Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his opening chance. A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the opening goal would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker announced his presence. “With any luck this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.