🔗 Share this article Masked Man Gyökeres Silences Jibes to Leave an Impression at Arsenal Should Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that all Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the moment his luck shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it makes no difference how they go in. After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and pressure mounting on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the close season, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season. Dramatic Turnaround in Luck Shortly after and to the excitement of the local supporters, his face-covering routine modeled after the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “I was ignored before the mask,” 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 gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the peak performance awaited. “This is football, and we can’t expect a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Situations are not the same. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their psychological state to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they faced a goal drought without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.” Early Challenges Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his selected career. Rebuked after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a wide player into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said in a recent interview. Testing Period Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “absent.” He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is evidently not his scoring ability. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has added a new layer in the final third, even if the opportunities have not been in his favor. Key Moments This was plainly visible during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had originally looked evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to impress 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 initial stages was created by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his opponent, José María Giménez. The defender has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to persuading Arteta to take the plunge. Relentless Effort Nevertheless having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker harried all opponents 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 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 initial opportunity. A exquisite touch from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the breakthrough would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker announced his presence. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.