Man in the Mask Gyökeres Stifles ‘Invisible’ Taunts to Leave an Impression at the Gunners

Should Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the attacker that each Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then possibly they will reflect on this night as the point his luck shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from point-blank via a deflection off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Fortune

Within moments and to the joy of the local supporters, his face-covering routine borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I informed Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this standard. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Early Challenges

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to build resilience to make it in his chosen profession. Admonished after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in professional play, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Testing Period

Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his time in football. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in attack, even if the chances 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 at first appeared well-balanced. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was created by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, 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 competing in merely 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 secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

Yet having attracted criticism that he was out of shape after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker harried all opponents as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. At that point it must have felt like the first score would elude him. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker made his mark. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.