With Arsenal having finally completed the £45 million signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, the rest of the Premier League has been left in no doubt about the Gunners’ ambitions under manager Mikel Arteta.
Certainly, signing the underrated Brazilian plugs a significant gap in Arsenal’s weakened forward line, while his pedigree will undoubtedly provide the Gunners with greater cutting edge.
This also makes a mockery of those who have made Arsenal 50/1 to win the 2022/23 Premier League, and you can leverage the 888Starz Welcome Offer to your advantage if you want to place a bet on the Gunners to emerge victorious next season.
But what exactly will Jesus bring to the Gunners, and just how prolific can he be as a first-choice striker leading the line?
A Deceptively Efficient Forward – What Do the Numbers Say?
While Jesus played a bit-part role at the Etihad Stadium (especially during the last two seasons), he boasted a surprisingly prolific record during his time in Manchester.
In fact, he netted 123 times in 319 appearances for City, including 58 in 159 Premier League matches. He also contributed 29 assists in the EPL, with Jesus delivering 87 goal involvements in total during his time.
Interestingly, Jesus has also contributed 20 goals in 38 Champions League appearances, with such numbers even more impressive when you consider that the versatile Brazilian often started on the bench.
As an aside, Jesus never lost a match that he managed to score in during his time at City. In fact, in the 47 games that he scored, his side won 44 and drew three, suggesting that the Brazilian is either a lucky charm or someone who contributes significantly to a successful side.
What Will Jesus Bring to Arsenal’s Frontline?
From a tactical perspective, there’s no doubt that Jesus is blessed with excellent touch, technical ability and movement off the ball.
This will make him a good fit at the Emirates, where manager Mikel Arteta has cultivated a possession-based style of play that places an emphasis on ball retention and constant movement. Similarly, Arteta’s side likes to press from the front, with Jesus having showcased the intelligence and athleticism to do this effectively during his time at City.
He also has the capacity to play through the middle, either as a sole striker or partner to Eddie Nketiah in attack. Similarly, Pep Guardiola regularly deployed Jesus on both flanks too, most notably during a superb 2-1 win against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 2020.
This highlights the Brazilian’s versatility, while also enabling Arteta to create a flexible forward line in which players are happy to alternate positions.
Jesus is also a capable dribbler, making him an excellent outlet and asset in instances where Arsenal need to relieve pressure and counter attack.
The Last Word
Ultimately, Arteta knows Jesus well, with the two having worked together closely when the Spaniard was coaching at the Etihad under Pep Guardiola.
He’s therefore best placed to know the value that Jesus can bring to the Gunners, and there’s no doubt that the forward appears to be a good tactical and cultural fit for an evolving Arsenal team.
The big question is can he evolve into a truly prolific number nine and become the main man at Arsenal, as the Gunners look to crack the top four and potentially mount an outside title charge.
