Teddy Sheringham has questioned the maturity of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres, calling his style of play childlike. The criticism comes as the Swedish international is expected to get a run in the side following an injury to first-choice forward Kai Havertz.

Sheringham, the former England striker, made his feelings clear in a blunt assessment of the 28-year-old's game. "It shocks me that he’s still playing like a kid," Sheringham said. "I don’t think he has understood what it means to be an attacking player and what he has to do." He added that Gyökeres constantly gives the ball away and should have learned better ball retention by his age.

Gyökeres joined Arsenal in the summer of 2025 and scored 22 goals in all competitions during his debut season, which ended with the club winning its first Premier League title in 22 years. Despite that return, his role has diminished this campaign under Mikel Arteta, who has preferred Kai Havertz as the central striker. Gyökeres has not started a Premier League game so far this term, though he has featured from the bench.

His situation is set to change after Havertz picked up an injury on international duty and is likely to be out for several weeks. Gyökeres comes into this period in strong form for his country, having scored four goals in four games during the recent break. Sweden manager Graham Potter praised his leadership and the different dimension he brings to the team, noting he is scoring again and in fantastic form.

Arsenal sit second in the Premier League with 12 points from five games, three points behind leaders Manchester City. Their form reads four wins and one defeat from the last five, with the most recent result a 3-0 loss away to Brighton. They face a tough test next, hosting fifth-placed Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.

The squad is also dealing with a defensive shortage after Ezri Konsa returned early from England duty with a knock. With Havertz now sidelined, Gyökeres has insisted he is keen to play more minutes for the club. "I haven’t played a lot, but I’ve had a few games," the striker said recently. His next opportunity to start could come against Leeds on Saturday, a chance to answer his critics and help maintain Arsenal's strong league position. Check the latest standings to see how the title race is shaping up.

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