Declan Rice stressed that Arsenal would not be top of the Premier League if not for the efforts of Viktor Gyokeres.
The Gunners moved, at least temporarily, six points clear at the summit thanks to a 3-2 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
Rice scored twice, while Gyokeres has now gone nine matches without a goal from open play.
The Sweden international played an important role in Rice's first goal, but has scored just five times himself in the league this season following his big-money switch from Sporting CP.
Rice, however, was full of praise for his team-mate.
He said: "It's tough for him, because he's got two defenders on him all game, all over him.
"So he has to use his strength, he has to do all he can to help the team and with my first goal, without him making that run from Gabriel Martinelli's flick and holding it, setting it off to Martin [Odegaard], that goal wouldn't happen.
"That was a pivotal moment in the game for us to turn the game on its head.
"I see how hard he hits a ball, and when that space arrives for him and the ball's arriving at his feet to score goals, he will 100% score.
"But at the minute, defenders in the Premier League want to be able to stop Viktor, because he's one of the best strikers in the world.
"Trust me, he's doing unbelievably for us, and we wouldn't be where we are without him."
Zobaceirs
66
That's for sure. Defenders will track him all day long forgetting he's not playing alone and at the end of the day stopping Viktor Gyokerës is the only result they take home 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lidbeklruy
42
true , Declan Rice is correct , the presence of Viktor Gyokeres is very important to the squad when he start the game , three or four players mark and that's when the other players score the goals because of the spaces that is cause by Gyokeres's presence but as soon as he is taken out / susbtituted , the opponents start to attack us and score goals and that has happened more than three times since he is substituted
tedaikruy
9
Some people don't really understand gyokeres role in Arsenal squad. if you look well at Arsenals results, you will see that different players scored so many times and not only one all the time .because most of time,opponents focus on gyokeres and other are free to score .so he is doing a great job