Rooney Praises Gyokeres' "Really Clever" Movement as Wright Hails Arsenal's Striker Problem Solved

Viktor Gyokeres produced a masterclass in forward play against Fulham on Saturday, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by two of English football's most respected voices.

The Arsenal striker bagged a brace to extend the Gunners' lead at the summit to six points over Manchester City, taking his tally to 21 goals across all competitions in his maiden campaign. Yet despite the numbers, Gyokeres has endured considerable scrutiny throughout the season—until now.

Wayne Rooney dissected the Swede's performance on Match of the Day, pinpointing the intelligence that separated a good striker from a great one. Rather than hunting for space in the box like conventional forwards, Gyokeres was doing something altogether more calculated.

"What he does here, which is really clever, he almost goes and marks himself," Rooney explained, highlighting how Gyokeres positioned himself tightly against his Fulham marker. "He gets really tight with the defender and now his run is smaller."

This compact movement proved devastatingly effective. By closing the distance, Gyokeres created a one-yard burst into the middle of the goal—a tap-in opportunity born from tactical nous rather than raw athleticism. Rooney also commended the striker's physical battle with defenders and his ability to keep Fulham's backline perpetually on edge with intelligent runs in behind.

The Arsenal legend Ian Wright went further, declaring that Gyokeres has finally cracked the code that's eluded Arsenal for years: converting chances against the bread-and-butter sides.

"People have been saying for many years Arsenal need to get a striker. Then we get the striker and people say he's not good enough," Wright said on Premier League Live. "You have to say 21 goals, obviously 12 in the Premier League, says that he's done the job for us."

Wright's analysis struck at the heart of Arsenal's historical weakness. The Gunners have rarely struggled against elite opposition, but mid-table outfits like Fulham, Wolves, and West Ham have traditionally posed problems. Gyokeres' arrival from Sporting for £55m in the summer appears to have solved precisely that puzzle.

"He's come in and he's kind of solved that problem for us," Wright concluded.

The former Arsenal forward was equally impressed by the developing chemistry between Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka, suggesting that injury disruptions have limited their time on the pitch together—but what they've shown so far is encouraging. With fixtures against West Ham and similar opposition looming, Wright expects more of the same clinical finishing from his club's controversial summer signing.