Masked Man Gyökeres Quiets Criticism to Make His Mark at Arsenal

In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the attacker that all Arsenal fans have been praying for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the juncture 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 scrutiny increasing on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range 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.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the excitement of the stadium crowd, his face-covering routine inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was given another airing after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“That’s the game, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Things are very different. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its peak. I advised Viktor in our introductory chat that the No 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his selected career. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to make it in elite soccer, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I still remember it today,” he said recently.

Challenging Spell

Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “absent.”

He achieved an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in offense, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the aura of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to persuading Arteta to take the plunge.

Relentless Effort

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was overweight after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him 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 did not happen until later that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the opening goal would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the man in the mask made his mark. “With any luck this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.