Man in the Mask Gyökeres Quiets Jibes to Make His Mark at Arsenal

Should Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that all Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then maybe they will recall this night as the moment his luck shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the summer, a huge wave of relief swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from point-blank via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the delight of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” was repeated once more after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta celebrated wildly and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“Such is soccer, and we can’t expect a player to switch environments and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their mental condition to be at its best. I advised Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a subpar outing by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to excel in elite soccer, he ultimately switched 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.

Challenging Spell

Without a goal since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Game Analysis

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked evenly matched. There was a sense that Gyökeres was trying too hard to make an impact as he charged around like a force of nature during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his defender, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this stage 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 must have gone a long way to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

Yet having drawn comments that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was tricked into conceding a caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the opening goal would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Ideally this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.