Wayne Rooney, wey be former England captain, don tok say Viktor Gyokeres don transform Arsenal attack as di Gunners dey chase historic Premier League and Champions League double. According to Rooney, di Swedish striker im movement and physical presence don help open space for Arsenal wide players.
Rooney, wey be Manchester United legend, don come out to defend Gyokeres against those wey dey criticise am. E say di forward go be di main reason if Arsenal succeed to win both Premier League and Champions League for di first time. Rooney talk say Gyokeres selfless off-the-ball work dey help im teammates well well.
“I don talk this since di season start, and dem don criticise me for am, but I really like am,” Rooney tok. E explain say Gyokeres dey run di channels and occupy defenders, wey create space for Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka. “If one or two centre-backs go cover am, and di full-back come cover round, when you switch di ball quick, e create plenty space for everyone behind am,” Rooney add.
Dis praise show say Gyokeres don turn around im season well. Di 27-year-old wey join Arsenal from Sporting for £64 million last summer, start di season slow with only three goals for im first 11 matches and suffer 10-game drought without open play goal. But e don improve im overall play and rediscover im scoring touch, netting five times for im last nine appearances to bring im tally to 21 goals for all competitions.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, don also praise Gyokeres tireless performance after di 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, wey take dem reach Champions League final for di first time in 20 years. Arteta talk say di Swedish forward form na from hard work for training pitch. “Di work wey you see for improvements from players no happen for one day or two—e don dey go on for months,” Arteta tok. “Viktor don work extremely hard; di demands wey e put on imself high well well. E always want learn, dey ask questions, dey do extra things, dey find ways to connect wit im teammates for canteen, dressing room, or pitch. When you get dat kind behaviour, you go get rewards.”
Another star wey shine na Myles Lewis-Skelly, wey don start back-to-back matches for midfield against Fulham and Atletico. Arteta talk say di process of understanding am and im standards don help am improve. “E dey exceptional, im attitude, di way e don train, di way e support di boys wen e no play, and e don give us every sign to think say wen we give am chance, e go respond well,” Arteta tok.
Di last two matches don see Ben White and Bukayo Saka start together, and dem don form good connection. Arteta believe say dis relationships dey crucial to success. “Wen you talk about di right units, di amount of minutes dem don play dis season dey low for different reasons, but dem get good understanding and you can sense am,” e tok.
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