🔗 Share this article Man in the Mask Gyökeres Silences Criticism to Stamp His Authority at the Gunners If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that every Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then maybe they will recall this night as the point his destiny changed. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they find the net. Following a streak of nine matches for club and country without a goal and expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from near distance via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they mean business this season. Remarkable Shift in Luck Shortly after and to the excitement of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the villain Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was given another airing after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come. “That’s the game, and we can’t expect 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. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their mental condition to be at its best. I informed Viktor in our first meeting that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this standard. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.” Formative Hurdles When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to thrive in his vocation. Admonished after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in professional play, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I recall it now,” he said not long ago. Difficult Phase Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his career. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.” He recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has added a new layer in offense, even if the chances have not come to him. Game Analysis This was clearly apparent during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced 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 opponent, José María Giménez. The defender has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this standard 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 convincing Arteta to secure the signing. Unyielding Drive Yet having attracted criticism that he was overweight after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal. A sumptuous flick from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have appeared that the breakthrough would not arrive. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the forward with the disguise left his imprint. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.