Viktor Gyokeres urged to learn from Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Gary Lineker tells Arsenal star how to improve and score 'big numbers'

Gyokeres scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting before switching to Arsenal for around £64 million ($86m) over the summer. But he has found it much more difficult in the Premier League, where he has scored five goals in 15 games. Despite his struggles, manager Mikel Arteta is, naturally, backing the 27-year-old to come good.

He said earlier this month: "Everybody was so excited to bring him into the club. We did it. We brought a player with an incredible scoring record who had to adapt to the league. He had no pre-season. The first few weeks were difficult because physically he wasn't in his best state and he's a player that needs that, like any other player in this league, almost to perform at that level. I know 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. We have full support for him."

After a lukewarm start to life at Arsenal, ex-Tottenham forward Lineker believes Gyokeres needs to be more proactive in the penalty area to get away from defenders and convert chances. He also thinks that Leeds' Calvert-Lewin is a great example to follow, with the 28-year-old scoring in six straight games in the league. 

He said on the Rest is Football podcast: "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. 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."

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Leeds looked like relegation fodder just a month or so ago. But wins over Chelsea and Crystal Palace, coupled with creditable draws with Liverpool, Brentford, and Sunderland, have sent them seven points clear of the bottom three. And Calvert-Lewin has been central to that upturn in form, with the ex-Everton man scoring all of his eight goals this term in the box. 

When asked about bagging his seventh goal in six matches, he told BBC Match of the Day, "I think we've shown we can mix our game up. We can be direct, we can play football. It's good versatility within the team. A good goal scored. It's always a good feeling to be scoring regularly. I'm in a good moment at the minute. My timing is good. As a team we're gelling a bit more. Things are going well for us. You're in flow. You can make those runs as a centre-forward and sometimes the ball doesn't find you when you're in a dry spell. But you've just got to keep doing it and hope that the tide will turn and that's what has happened for me at the moment. I'm feeling good, feeling strong and I'm enjoying playing with the lads."

Gyokeres was not at his best in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Brighton at the weekend, so there is a chance he won't start in their crunch clash with high-flying Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. The Swede may have to make do with a place on the bench in a battle between first and third in the division.