Man in the mask Gyökeres silences ‘invisible’ taunts to make Arsenal mark

The centre-forward Arteta craved ends a nine-match goal drought to excite his manager about what is to come

MASKED MARAUDER: Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring his second and the Gunners' fourth in the comprehensive Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.  John Walton/PA Wire.

If Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the striker all Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the moment his fortune changed. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for club and country 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 scuffed home from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s team showed again that they mean business this season.