\n<\/p>\n
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has explained why he thinks Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres will be a \u201cmajor factor\u201d in their remaining games.<\/p>\n
Arsenal could produce a really special end to this season, with Mikel Arteta<\/strong>\u2018s side now only three wins away from lifting the Premier League and Champions League.<\/p>\n The Gunners<\/strong> have their fair share of knocks along the way, but all of their setbacks will be forgotten if they get over the line in these competitions.<\/p>\n Arteta has benefitted from several players stepping up in recent weeks, and this includes summer signing Gyokeres.<\/p>\n Gyokeres is currently in his best run of form since joining Arsenal and Rooney has backed him to make a decisive impact in his side\u2019s final three games of the 2025\/26 campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve said this all season and I have been criticised for saying it, but I actually really like him,\u201d Rooney told The Overlap EFL Fan Debate with SkyBet.<\/p>\n READ: Declan Rice \u2018sacrificed\u2019 as Arsenal transfer deal emerges amid England squad \u2018whispers\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhat he brings to that Arsenal team is that he occupies defenders. He makes them work, he makes them defend, he runs the channels.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what we\u2019ve seen recently is that it\u2019s creating more space for (Eberechi) Eze and for (Bukayo) Saka \u2014 because if one, or both centre-backs have to go and cover him and then the full-back has to cover round, when you switch the ball quickly, it creates so much space for everyone just in behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last few weeks he has been showing that even more and if Arsenal go on to win the league and the Champions League, he\u2019ll be a major reason behind it, because that\u2019s where Arsenal have been short in the last few years.<\/p>\n \u201cI know he hasn\u2019t scored the goals Haaland has scored, but he has been really important for that Arsenal team and he will be a major factor if they do win the two of them.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Arsenal derided as \u2018creepy, underhanded and weird\u2019 as Arteta debate continues<\/strong><\/p>\n Arsenal have been dealt a blow ahead of the Champions League final, with Ben White confirmed to be ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury.<\/p>\n Arteta experimented with a couple of replacements in the weekend win against West Ham, but pundit Danny Murphy thinks Cristhian Mosqueura will take White\u2019s place for the next few weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t bear thinking about, does it?\u201d Murphy said on talkSPORT about Arsenal having to find a way to deal with PSG superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Would Arsenal double put Arteta ahead of Klopp in manager ranking? \u201cMosquera is a defender, he\u2019s a centre-half, and he\u2019s quick. He can play right-back, he can sit in position and just pick him up and have a one-vs-one battle. It\u2019s not the end of the world, but it\u2019s not ideal.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the best winger in the world at the moment. He\u2019s got wonderful physicality and strength but a brilliant, intelligent football brain: when to play quick, when to keep the ball, he can run past people.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can play both sides as well, he can play on the right, that\u2019s the flexibility of PSG. Sometimes you\u2019ll see him on the right, on the left\u2026 Ousmane Dembele will go on the left or the right, Desire Doue will go on the left or the right.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big ask for Arsenal, they\u2019re going to have to be pretty perfect to beat them on the night.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\u201cIt\u2019s not the end of the world, but it\u2019s not ideal\u2026\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n