Wayne Rooney has declared that the return of Bukayo Saka will be 'absolutely huge' for Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations. The England international made his comeback from injury as a late substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday, a result that lifted the Gunners back to the top of the table.
Saka's impact on Arsenal's title charge
Saka had been sidelined for nearly a month, but his brief appearance against Newcastle has reignited optimism around the club. Despite a relatively subdued season by his standards—scoring only twice since December—Rooney believes the winger's presence is invaluable. 'Bukayo Saka has been great for Arsenal over the last few years,' Rooney said on his BBC podcast. 'Maybe this season he hasn't hit the heights, but he's such an important player. To get him back at this time of the season is going to be massive, it's going to be really important.'
Rooney emphasised Saka's leadership qualities and his chemistry with teammates. 'He's clearly one of the leaders in there, so to have him back is huge. An in-form Bukayo Saka is one of the best players in the Premier League, there's no doubt about that. It will help the other players as well; he has a really good connection with Jurrien Timber and the midfield players. Having someone you know you can rely on out there is really important, and all those Arsenal players know they can rely on Saka and know what he brings to the team. It's huge for Arsenal, absolutely huge.'
Rooney's title prediction
Arsenal are chasing their first league title since 2004, having finished second in each of the last three seasons. Rooney believes the pressure is firmly on Mikel Arteta's side, but he still expects them to prevail over Manchester City. 'I think Arsenal will win the title, and I do think they will win it,' he added. 'I thought the Newcastle game was so important. If they won that, they could go on to win every game. If they didn't, they could have fallen apart, but to win that game was so big.'
The former Manchester United striker pointed to the remaining fixtures as a decisive factor. 'Man City have a couple of tricky games in there, and I can see them slipping up once or twice. Man City have the trickier fixtures. If you look at Arsenal's last four games, they are really winnable, all four of them. The City ones—there are a couple you think they could slip up in, like Everton and Bournemouth. I give the edge to Arsenal based on the fixtures. Man City's fixtures are a little bit trickier than Arsenal's. I think Arsenal will win every game, and Man City will mess up once or twice.'
Arsenal's victory over Newcastle came courtesy of an early goal from Eberechi Eze, and the Gunners will now look to build momentum in their remaining matches. With Saka back in the fold, Rooney's confidence in Arsenal's title credentials appears well-founded.
