In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the striker that all Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the point his destiny changed. According to the classic forward’s saying, it isn’t important how they find the net.
On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and pressure mounting on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the offseason, a massive sense of release engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.
Within moments and to the delight of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was given another airing after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.
“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Circumstances vary greatly. Every footballer globally need one thing: their mental condition to be at its optimum. I advised Viktor in our initial discussion that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”
When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to make it in his vocation. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker 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.
Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches 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 “unnoticeable.”
He recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his complete game has provided additional depth in offense, even if the opportunities have not come to him.
This was plainly visible during the opening period of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed evenly matched. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to stand out as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the first few moments was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, José María Giménez.
The Uruguayan has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is deeply knowledgeable 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 must have gone a long way to persuading Arteta to make the move.
Nevertheless having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.
A sumptuous flick from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the first score would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask announced his presence. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.
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