Masked Man Gyökeres Stifles Criticism to Make His Mark at the Gunners

If Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that all Arsenal fans have been praying for, then perhaps they will recall this night as the juncture his luck shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they hit the back of the net.

Following a streak 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 massive sense of release swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from near distance via a glance off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are serious contenders this season.

Remarkable Shift in Fortune

Within moments and to the excitement of the home faithful, his face-covering routine borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Circumstances vary greatly. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our first meeting 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 suited at this tier. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his selected career. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to excel in elite soccer, he ended up being converted from a wide player into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I still remember it today,” he said in a recent interview.

Challenging Spell

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his time in football. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “absent.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is obviously not his scoring ability. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has added a new layer in the final third, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Match Highlights

This was clearly apparent during the initial 45 minutes of this top-level clash between two teams that had at first appeared closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he bustled about like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced 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 opponent, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is vastly experienced at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to take the plunge.

Unyielding Drive

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out 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 quickly smother an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the first score would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask left his imprint. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.