Wayne Rooney has come to the defense of Viktor Gyokeres, who faced heavy criticism earlier in the season, reiterating his long-standing admiration for the striker.
“I’ve been saying this all season, and I’ve taken a lot of flak for it, but I genuinely rate him highly,” Rooney said. “He brings huge tactical value to Arsenal. He occupies defenders, forces them to run constantly and struggle to defend, and he can also make runs to create space on the flanks.
“Recently, we’ve seen him create more attacking opportunities for Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka. Once one or even two center-backs are forced to mark him, full-backs have to step in to cover, and then quick ball movement leaves huge gaps behind for his teammates.”
Although Gyokeres still trails Manchester City’s Erling Haaland by 16 goals in the scoring charts, his tactical influence is widely recognized within the game. Rooney believes this could be the key factor in Arsenal’s push for major silverware.
“His role has become even more evident in recent weeks,” he added. “If Arsenal manage to win both the Premier League and the Champions League this season, he would be one of the core contributors. That’s exactly the tactical element Arsenal has been missing in recent years.”