There was a lot of excitement amongst Arsenal fans when Gabriel Jesus was signed from Manchester City for around £45 million. The forward was highly regarded by Mikel Arteta, who was determined to unlock the Brazilian’s potential after Jesus was ousted by Pep Guardiola at City.
A BRIGHT ARSENAL START
In his first season in North London, Jesus showed flashes of his quality, finishing the campaign with 17 goals and assists in 26 league games. The elusive Premier League title seemed closer than it had been in two decades. However, fast forward a year, and Jesus is a forgotten man. Arteta is now searching for a new forward, with Kai Havertz emerging as the first-choice striker at the club.
Jesus’ decline in prominence was largely due to injuries last season that sidelined him for nearly three months. During his absence, Havertz delivered some strong performances, solidifying his place in the starting lineup. As a result, even after making a recovery, Jesus found himself on the bench, with the German preferred ahead of him. However, the upcoming season presents an opportunity for Jesus to rediscover his best form and reassert his place in the team.
AN EXPERT IN POSITIONING
Understanding Jesus as a player is key to understanding his potential impact this season. He is not the 20-goal-a-season striker that Arteta might ideally want. Throughout his career, his finishing has been a persistent weakness, having underperformed his expected goals (xG) in every season except one during his time at City, where he roughly matched it..
Despite this, Jesus brings much more to the table than just goals. His positioning is exceptional, and he has demonstrated a knack for creating goal-scoring opportunities. He averages 8.26 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes, placing him in the 97th percentile among forwards. When you also consider his successful take-ons (97th percentile) and progressive passes received (94th percentile), his threat in the box becomes evident.
In essence, Jesus receives the ball in good positions frequently and has the dribbling skills to keep possession in the final third. During the 2022-23 Premier League season, his xG per 90 minutes was 0.61, ranking him fourth among forwards who had started more than 20 games. While his finishing may sometimes be lacking, his ability to find these positions consistently is valuable.
HOW ARTETA CAN UTILISE JESUS
Jesus is more of a creative forward, a role that Arteta can utilize effectively this season. With goal-scoring wingers like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, and the addition of Mikel Merino, Arsenal will have multiple threats going forward. Jesus can create space for these players with his intelligent movement and also serve as a creator in the final third.
His good hold-up play in dangerous parts of the pitch allows Arsenal to overload opposition defenses, creating scoring chances. His high xG suggests that even if he underperforms in converting those chances, he can still contribute with 12-17 goals.
Arteta has also been impressed with the 27-year-old’s pre-season form, stating that “he’s come back in top condition.” Jesus himself is confident about his prospects, declaring that “this year it is different.” If he can stay fit and find his rhythm, Gabriel Jesus could very well play a pivotal role in Arsenal’s pursuit of silverware this season.
