Gary Lineker has pinpointed a key area where Viktor Gyokeres needs to improve to boost his goal return for Arsenal amid his struggles this season.
Gyokeres scored a staggering 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in a two-year spell at the Portuguese club, figures which convinced Arsenal to sign him for £64m in the summer.
The Swedish forward has been unable to achieve a similar return in the Premier League, scoring just five times in 15 appearances for the Gunners.
Two of those goals have come from the penalty spot, with four coming against relegation threatened Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
Former England striker Lineker was asked by Micah Richards on the Rest is Football podcast how Gyokeres could score more goals for Arsenal, with his penalty against Everton last week his only league strike since the start of November.
Lineker highlighted Gyokeres lack of willingness to gamble on crosses and highlighted Dominic Calvert-Lewin as an example for him to learn from.
Gary Lineker believes Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres needs to gamble more to boost his goalcoring return
Lineker highlighted Dominic Calvert-Lewin as an example of what Gyokeres needs to do after the Leeds forward scored for the sixth successive match at the weekend
Calvert-Lewin got across his man at the near post to convert a low cross against Sunderland
Calvert-Lewin scored for the sixth successive Premier League match on Sunday, with the Leeds United forward getting across his marker to equalise from a near post cross against Sunderland.
The 28-year-old, who joined Leeds on a free transfer in the summer, has scored all eight of his league goals this season from central positions in the box.
‘I’ve watched him [Gyokeres] quite closely the last few weeks and I think he’s like most strikers, is one that waits to see where it’s going, the ball, waits until it’s crossed and then attacks the space.
‘That’s what defenders do, as a striker you got to gamble on where you think the ball might go and you go just as they’re about to cross it.
‘You steal a march on the defender that way and lots of the time the ball won’t go there, but I don’t see him doing that very often.
‘Dominic Calvert Lewin did a perfect example of how to do that for the Leeds goal at Sunderland, perfect.
‘He didn’t wait and to see where it was going to go. He went right, I pulled away and then he sprinted at the near post and hoped that the ball would be delivered there and it was.
‘I don’t see that too often from Gyokeres at present, the players that score big numbers will do that.
Gyokeres has five Premier League goals so far this season, with two coming from penalties
‘You know, [Erling] Haaland, [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, they know how to make those kind of moves into those spaces.
‘Is it something you can learn? I’ve always thought yes, but because it’s actually common sense because it’s law of probability when you think about it.’
Former Newcastle and England striker Alan Shearer agreed with Lineker’s assessment.
He noted that would be easier for Gyokeres if Arsenal lined up with traditional wingers, the forward needs to gamble more and not be disheartened.
Shearer suggested that Gyokeres and his team-mates may still be adapting to playing with each other, something Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta acknowledged when defending the forward earlier this month.
‘We brought a player with an incredible goalscoring record who had to adapt to the league, he had no preseason,’ Arteta said ahead of Arsenal’s match against Everton.
‘The first few weeks were difficult because physically he wasn’t in his best state and he is a player who needs that like any other player in this league almost to perform at that level. Then he kicked on, he had a really good period and he got injured.
‘We need to continue to tweak and understand him a little bit better in certain situations and he needs to do the same. But that’s about time and we have full support for him.’
Gyokeres will be aiming to be back among the goals when league leaders Arsenal face Aston Villa in a crunch clash on Tuesday, with Unai Emery’s side just three points behind ahead of their trip to the Emirates.
