viktor gyökeres is being called on to change the technical side of his play by former Arsenal midfielder Anders Limpar. Limpar made the assessment at 19: 13 ET on 12 March 2026, saying the forward must work daily in training to receive the ball better and involve himself more in attacking moves. The message: retain the ball like Kai Havertz and the rest — including goals — will follow.
Viktor Gyökeres: Limpar’s blunt verdict
Anders Limpar, the 60-year-old ex-Arsenal midfielder, gave a measured but stark evaluation of the season so far: “I would give a six out of ten to Viktor Gyokeres for the season he has had so far, ” he said. Limpar singled out flashes of brilliance — notably a two-goal display in the North London derby that made Gyökeres man of the match — but warned that such highs are balanced by matches where the forward has not delivered and has been substituted early.
Limpar underlined a precise deficiency: ball control and technical security. “We see the ball bouncing off him too often, ” he said. “He really needs to improve technically. ” To illustrate what Gyökeres should emulate, Limpar pointed to a stylistic example: “Viktor has to look more to Kai Havertz and learn from him. When the ball is passed to Havertz, he never loses it. “
Limpar’s comparisons and concrete advice
Limpar drew a contrast with another Arsenal forward to clarify his point: in his view Gyökeres outshines one teammate in pure goalscoring instinct but lags behind in ball skill. “Gabriel Jesus is not close to Viktor in goalscoring ability, but Viktor is far from Gabriel Jesus in technical terms, ” Limpar said. The takeaway was practical, not personal: improved first touch, calmer ball reception and more time on technical drills in training.
He pressed the theme of repetition and focus: if Gyökeres trains the technical side every day — receiving passes, holding up play, involving team-mates — he will increase his influence in attacking phases. “If he improves the technical side, if he trains it in training, he can receive the ball better and get involved more in attacking plays. Then he will be one of Arsenal’s biggest players, ” Limpar added.
Quick context
Limpar spent the early 1990s at Arsenal and retains a close connection to the club; he described his view from that vantage. Gyökeres joined Arsenal following a spell at Sporting and has shown both a strong scoring nose and intermittent technical lapses this season.
What happens next
Limpar set a clear test for the weeks ahead: consistent technical work in training and more regular, secure involvement in possession will determine whether the forward converts flashes into sustained elite-level output. Coaching staff and Gyökeres himself must now decide whether the training focus shifts toward the ball-retention drills Limpar recommends; that choice will shape how often Gyökeres starts, completes full matches and builds toward the higher end of Limpar’s scale.
For now the challenge is explicit and time-sensitive: strengthen the technical base and the scoring talent will be harder to contain — a point Anders Limpar made plainly at 19: 13 ET on 12 March 2026 as he urged Viktor gyökeres to learn from Havertz and improve his craft.
