The understudy of Sergio Aguero soon has become the looked upon player by Manchester City fans. Perhaps, his treble against Zagreb in the Champions League encounter has struck a flurry of expectations from the City fans. The Brazilian youngster is expected to do well against Arsenal on Sunday.
Gabriel Jesus has a chance of his lifetime to make every seconds on the pitch count which can only be fruitful if he scores because that’s what he is in the squad for. The youngster has ousted his age and expectations are inevitable.
While Gabriel Jesus will work as the proficient number 9 for Manchester City, Alexandre Lacazette it will be for Arsenal to play the role of a goal-scorer. The Frenchman has been in the lows of his form but his past against big 6 clubs edges him over Martinelli who otherwise would have been preferred to start.
Lacazette has struggled to perform for Arsenal which has been the major area of concern for the North London club. The Frenchman has not been at his best and has showcased decent performances this season. And come big game, he needs to step up; he needs to score.
Gabriel Jesus and Lacazette are best in the position that they play with their skills and abilities only asking them to tickle defenders. The duo have a knack of scoring goals and are always a step ahead of their opponents. They have a sense of timing and are always present at the right place at the right time.
While Lacazette is low on form/confidence, Gabriel Jesus is high in both. Having scored the treble, Jesus would surely hold his head high against the feeble attitude of David Luiz and Sokratis who have faltered more than they have tackled.
Nevertheless, Lacazette will get ample chances too. The defence of City have not clicked either and to cruise past them have not been difficult. Only one counter attack is enough to cause nightmare in the dressing room of City. And to create one, Lacazette will hold the key. The Frenchman knows the game better than anyone else and he surely would tap on the fragile spots of City to help his squad.
City may step in as the favourites going into the game but if the number 9 of Arsenal gets going, the going will get tough for Manchester City. We have witnessed a lot of match winning performances from Laca in recent past. He just needs the ball under his legs in the box to score. And boom, the tables will turn.
Gabriel Jesus may have the benefit of playing alongside in-form Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne but when Lacazette hits the ground, he becomes unstoppable. I would surely place all my bets on the Frenchman to win the battle of Number 9’s.
