Lineker urges Gyokeres to study the elite movers to boost Arsenal’s numbers

Lineker's Challenge: Learn from the Elite Movers

The former England star believes Arsenal's Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres could raise his Premier League numbers by studying how top finishers move into space and attack crosses. He points to Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a modern example of smart movement in the box, a model Gyökeres could emulate as he adapts to life in England.

Current Form and Comparisons

Gyökeres, 27, has five Premier League goals this season and two more in the Champions League, but Lineker notes he has yet to match the killer instinct he showed last season with Sporting Lisbon, when he scored 54 goals in 52 games.

Meanwhile Calvert-Lewin is in outstanding form, with eight goals in his last six appearances, making him one of the league's brightest forwards this term.

Lineker's Analysis and the Takeaway

Lineker explains he watched Gyökeres closely and believes many attackers wait to see where the ball goes, before breaking into space. He argues a top striker should anticipate the ball's path and move proactively, sometimes taking a risk to gain a yard on the defender. He cites Calvert-Lewin's goal against Sunderland as an exemplary moment of the right kind of movement.

Lineker adds that most elite forwards—Kane, Lewandowski, Haaland—have long mastered intelligent movement to create chances for themselves. He concludes that learning this aspect is possible, because it is essentially a simple logic and probability.

He finishes with a reminder that movement in the box matters as much as finishing, and Gyökeres has room to grow in that regard.

Punchline 1: In football, getting into the right space is like Wi‑Fi for your legs—without it, you’re buffering on the goal line.
Punchline 2: If Lineker is right, the ball doesn’t find you—you find the ball. It’s called practice, not magic.