🔗 Share this article Man in the Mask Gyökeres Stifles Criticism to Make His Mark at the Gunners If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that every Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the moment his luck shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it makes no difference how they find the net. 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 tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from point-blank via a ricochet off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are serious contenders this season. Dramatic Turnaround in Form Less than three minutes later and to the excitement of the local supporters, his mask celebration inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “I was ignored before the mask,” was repeated once more after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead. “This is football, and we can’t expect a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they experienced a dry spell 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 situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to make it in his chosen profession. Admonished after a subpar outing by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in top-level football, 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 recently. Difficult Phase Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised 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 throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his scoring ability. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has added a new layer in attack, even if the opportunities have not come to him. Key Moments This was clearly apparent during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had at first appeared closely contested. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to stand out as he bustled about like a force of nature during the opening minutes. 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 skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez. The defender has the air of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is deeply knowledgeable at this standard 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 influencing Arteta to take the plunge. Unyielding Drive However having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker pursued each opportunity as if his life depended on it. Giménez was tricked into conceding a booking when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal. A brilliant pass from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the opening goal would elude him. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask made his mark. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.