Wayne Rooney jumped to the defense of Victor Guilyoker after the Arsenal striker was scrutinized after his Premier League debut.
The £64 million summer signature struggled to make an impact with Manchester United at Old Trafford and was replaced by Kai Harborts in the second half.
It sparked a sharp exchange between Gary Neville and Jamie Carrager in Sky Sports, the latter claiming that Mikel Arteta would return to Herberts in the biggest game.
Neville countered, “He can’t leave Gyoker out of the big game,” but Carragher doubled with the dull “he can do it.” It reflected a broader criticism response focusing on Gyoker’s lack of threat, rather than the context of Arsenal’s 1-0 victory.
Rooney spoke on his BBC podcast, offering a different perspective. “To be fair to him, he sometimes didn’t get much support,” he said. “He was a bit isolated. He showed his strength. There was a time when he ran to the channel and pushed (Matigis) de ligt out of the ball.
“You’re not going to be a bad player after a game. When he was in Coventry a few years ago, I actually played him.
“One thing I say is that this league is completely different from where he was and there’s more pressure. Arsenal needs a striker and he has a lot of pressure on him because they put their trust in and spent the money.
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“The question I have right now is that he can handle that pressure. We’ve seen it at Man United.
Gyokeres’ Muted Start contrasts sharply with his extraordinary output in Portugal, where he scored 97 goals in 102 matches in the sport, sacking them to back-to-back league titles. That record persuaded Arsenal to invest heavily, and Arteta described him as a missing piece at his frontline after three consecutive second-place finishes.
Rooney emphasized that quiet nights at Old Trafford would not change their pedigree. Instead, he highlighted the importance of quickly adapting to the Premier League spotlight and the growing expectations that come with leading the line of title contenders.
The former Manchester United captain also expressed his views on Arsenal’s outlook this season. “I think they can win the league,” he added.
“It’s difficult, but they can. You know what it’s like at the beginning of the season, so you can’t judge them by their performance. It can be tough for players. Arsenal is certainly one of three or four teams that can win.
Arsenal will start with a clash with Leeds United at Emirates Stadium and look for a gyoker to make the mark earlier than later.
