Rooney claims Arsenal star will be ‘major factor’ for run-in as replacement picked after injury blow | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has explained why he thinks Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres will be a “major factor” in their remaining games.

Arsenal could produce a really special end to this season, with Mikel Arteta‘s side now only three wins away from lifting the Premier League and Champions League.

The Gunners 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.

Arteta has benefitted from several players stepping up in recent weeks, and this includes summer signing Gyokeres.

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’s final three games of the 2025/26 campaign.

“I’ve said this all season and I have been criticised for saying it, but I actually really like him,” Rooney told The Overlap EFL Fan Debate with SkyBet.

“What he brings to that Arsenal team is that he occupies defenders. He makes them work, he makes them defend, he runs the channels.

“And what we’ve seen recently is that it’s creating more space for [Eberechi] Eze and for [Bukayo] Saka — 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.

“Over 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’ll be a major reason behind it, because that’s where Arsenal have been short in the last few years.

“I know he hasn’t 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.”

“It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not ideal…”

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.

Arteta experimented with a couple of replacements in the weekend win against West Ham, but pundit Danny Murphy thinks Cristhian Mosqueura will take White’s place for the next few weeks.

“It doesn’t bear thinking about, does it?” Murphy said on talkSPORT about Arsenal having to find a way to deal with PSG superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

“Mosquera is a defender, he’s a centre-half, and he’s quick. He can play right-back, he can sit in position and just pick him up and have a one-vs-one battle. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not ideal.

“He’s the best winger in the world at the moment. He’s 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.

“He can play both sides as well, he can play on the right, that’s the flexibility of PSG. Sometimes you’ll see him on the right, on the left… Ousmane Dembele will go on the left or the right, Desire Doue will go on the left or the right.

“It’s a big ask for Arsenal, they’re going to have to be pretty perfect to beat them on the night.”