The Brazilian international was signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2022 from Man City for £45 million, not a cheap fee for a player with one year of contract left at that time.
However, Man City turned the tables in the sprint despite losing 8 points to Arsenal. There are many reasons leading to Arsenal’s shortness of breath, including the role of the strikers.
Jesus’ only goal so far in the Premier League this season.
Rookie Gabriel Jesus appeared 26 times in the Premier League last season and scored 11 goals. That’s not a bad achievement, but not good enough to help Arsenal compete for the championship. If placed in Erling Haaland’s frame of reference, the person who replaced Jesus at Man City scored up to 36 goals.
Things are getting worse for Jesus this season. Despite playing nearly 300 minutes, the Brazilian striker has only scored 1 goal on the domestic playground, with “0 assists”.
Legend Alan Shearer criticized Jesus for “continuously” missing opportunities in recent times. Shearer told Athletic: “Jesus is really good at predicting the pass and cutting the ball off James Maddison (against Tottenham).”
“That puts him in an ideal shooting position in front of goal, with space around him and the ability to choose both angles. He can take a direct shot, which will be a goal. That’s what I’ve done many times.”
“But this is another example of leaning back to finish. Jesus’ body and his technique are both wrong. (I) wouldn’t pick him, he’s consistently shown the ability to finish. scoring less than his xG (expected goals) over the last few years, which tells you that he’s had his chances in a good position to finish them.”
The sad reality is that both Jesus and Arsenal’s second striker, Eddie Nketiah, have only scored 3 goals this season. That is, just by exploding in the last few minutes of the match against Brentford, a midfielder like Scott McTominay could equal Nketiah’s scoring record.
Toney is currently valued at around £60 million.
With an attack like that, it’s hard to believe Arsenal can compete in the long run with Man City. Shearer’s criticism of Jesus will clearly make coach Mikel Arteta think differently.
They need to invest more heavily in January. Some reports suggest that Arsenal is targeting Brentford striker Ivan Toney. He is receiving a suspension from the FA after being involved in a betting issue. However, the English striker will return to the field from January.
There is information that Brentford values Toney at 60 million pounds. That is a reasonable amount for Arsenal in the middle of the season. They need a striker who is good at pressing down on the opponent’s defenders and Toney will solve that conundrum. Only by strengthening the attack can Arsenal hope to have a fair dispute with Man City and go deep in the Champions League.
Ngoa Long | 20:35 October 17, 2023
