Technical Analysis: Does Jesus have the qualities to take Arsenal to the next level?
Gabriel Jesus’ Arsenal career couldn’t have started more promising, two goals off the bench in pre-season with the first coming just after 90 seconds of him stepping onto the pitch in the famous red and white.
He looked like the poacher number 9 that the Arsenal faithful has been calling out for in our attempt to push this young and hungry team into the top four spaces.
When you consider that none of our forwards managed to get double digits last season, Jesus would have been on the top of Arteta’s shopping list, however, he must break his 2019/20 league best of 14 goals to be the Arsenal star man.
In a year that Nunez joined Liverpool and Haaland joined Manchester City, the Premier League is suddenly filled with young dangerous strikers, getting a proven league striker for only £45 million in today’s market could be a fantastic addition.
So, let’s technically break down how he helps the team.
An underrated side of Jesus is his versatility, he has played across the front three in his time in English football with 187 appearances as a centre forward, 17 on the left wing and 19 on the right.
This trait gives Nketiah more game time in the iconic number 14 shirt and supplies cover for Saka who played in all 38 premier league games last season, the second youngest player to do this since Cesc Fabregas in 06/07.
With Nicholas Pepe looking like he might leave the club this summer, a bit of rest will help Saka’s longevity, reduce injury chance, and ease the reliance that right wing position.
In possession Jesus suits Arteta perfectly, a player that can drop deep to help the midfield and link up the attacking play with an excellent eye for through balls, at City he was ranked in the top 12% for progressive passes in the league.
He has a great touch and first-time pass which was demonstrated perfectly in his first Arsenal goal, transitioning quickly from midfield into attack.
His fast pace allows him to get in behind if defenders sit high up and will lead to many goalscoring opportunities with our fast front three of Martinelli, Jesus and Saka.
It is similar set up to when City played Sterling, Jesus and Mahrez; to deal with the attacking pace and threat often defenders would drop deep in games, and it allows their creative players De Bruyne and Silva to have more time and space on the ball in attacking positions.
Therefore, I believe Arteta has bought the likes of Fabio Viera and Martain Odegaard to fulfil the role of City’s world-class attacking midfielders, players who have the technical skills and quality to create goals when given space and time.
He also has played in the Premier League unlike other young strikers coming into the league and has experience finishing off these moves against low block defenders and, like all City strikers, is brilliant at far post runs and scoring within the box.
However, this is where I do have to mention he has not yet scored a goal in the Premier League from outside the box and has normally scored less than his expected goals stats when playing for City.
There is clearly some room for improvements but at 25-years-old this will come; especially since he will gain a massive boost of confidence from starting most games. Playing as the main striker is exactly what the Brazilian needs as he enters the traditional ‘peak’ years of his career.
Finally, and probably the most obvious advantage is that Pep’s referred to him as the best pressing striker in the world, Jesus is a manager’s dream.
He works incredibly hard from the front and aware of when to pressurise defenders to create his own chances from defensive errors, with a fast and young back line, it looks like we will be stepping up the pressure from the front, keeping opponents in their own half.
In summary, he is a better build-up striker than Lacazette was for Arsenal and a better-goal scorer too, with much more pace and pressing ability, he looked extremely sharp in his first pre-season game already developing a strong link-up with fellow Brazilian teammate Martinelli.
From his interviews and players comments on his City departure he appears to have the ‘here to help out’ attitude that the Arsenal project needs and can only be an upgrade for this promising young team.
With some huge forwards now in the world’s most competitive league, I would keep an eye out at the Brazilian with a point to prove at Arsenal.
What do you think Gooners?
Benedict
Twitter – @benedict_hobbs
———————————————————————-
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
Per Mertesacker Talks about Jack Wilshere, Jesus and Saliba…
Please watch, enjoy, and subscribe to Just Arsenal Vids
He looked perfect for the 3-5-2 formation, when playing with Nketiah and Martinelli. But if he plays as our lone striker in EPL, I don’t think he’d score easily
We have almost everything, just to replace Xhaka with a descent midfielder and ensure back-up for Tierney . Far more better squad then last season!
Jesus is an excellent striker.
I would prefer a 4-4-2 formation where we can be more assured of goals in counter attack situations. We are really poor on counter attacks……..A Player running towards the goal with no one to support. I hope that Nketiah and Jesus can both start upfront
The actual Jesus might be able to take us to the next level, but Gabriel can only help and as you point out is going to need quite a lot of assistance from established team mates plus any other signings we make (whoever they may be).
I think he’s a great asset but not a one man title winning machine and I sincerely hope he does not become a hate target if things don’t quite work out the way we hope.
He has got to show it at Arsenal first.. Can’t be “Mystic Meg” trying to predict the future..
After he has had at least a few months playing for us them can we really start judging if we think he can help us moge forwards.
Lets wait and see..
It depends on what you mean as ”next level’. His all round game is much better than Auba’s but I don’t see him as a great goalscorer.
The fact is late injuries cost us 7 points minimum and top 4. We lost 13 times last season. Spurs lost 11 times. Both teams were flat track bullies and folded when the presure came on. Chelsea won one less game than us and Spurs but drew 11 times meaning they had the grit or the know how to take something from tough games. So with 13 losses if we turned two of those games into wins and 4 into draws we would record 79 points and get top 4. To do that we probably only need another 7/9 goals and defend a little better in tough games. So another 9 goals from Jesus and LB +RB injury cover and we are fine. So with Jesus Marquinos and Vieira in the house surely defensive reinforcements are the priority now.
Not a bad analysis at all
Good analysis FF but only if last season results repeat again. We have to see first how our rivals will fare next season. Chelsea, Man utd and Spurs.
If man utd sign de jong as is looking likely then … with their managerial upgrade and I suspect at least another addition … they will be a lot better than last season … it’s not just about wether Jesus is an upgrade on what we had (I think he is) but who we are up against and whether we have players across the team to compete … at the moment we are short of quality in midfield and still IMO in attack … if CL is the goal
@fairfan I can’t agree 👍 the less. Jesus is not going to do that high technical tactics that Arteta – Arsenal lacks. That is a big glaring gap. M.A needs to do his own personal understudy of the likes of Ancelloti, Velverdy etc. Why do I say so? If any of the two takes up the present Arsenal team including the newly signed ones, we will certainly be in top 4 when next season rounds up. Their tactics, techniques and philosophies both will transform the entire team in defence, midfield and attack. Ancelloti’s one season at Everton took them to Europe, a team of lesser quality to ours. As he left Everton nose dived, Ancelloti’s Madrid defeated the EPL’s top 3 teams on their way to glory not because Madrid had the best quality of players especially compared to M.City & Liverpool, the difference was Manager’s technical inputs. Jesus will play and contribute only his own quota, if Arteta continues with his slow approach pattern and his formation then Jesus will be turned into a spectator and before you know it the fans will begin to unjustifiably hate him and his confidence begins to drop. M.A should work seriously on his defense tactics see how the team conceded goals in Germany last week. The players are not too bad to say. MA and and his crew need to up their technical inputs by humbling themselves and seriously understudy their seniors and they’ll get it right. Since MA can’t do without Granit Xahka he should inform him that the club is neither looking forward to his Red ❌🧧Cards generosity nor to his horror midfield and defensive mistakes. It’s a case of one error too many, enough is enough. If only Arteta will get his acts well, Gabriel Jesus will definitely blaze and blast.
He’ll be a Sanchez, no doubt about it. I just hope Edu manages to find a proper DM and that at least one of our more attacking midfielders become a Cazorla. That setup gives me hope for the top 4.
Well, Jesus improves us with his ability. Our major problem is , how do we control games and win the winnable games?. How will our mid-fielders will not be run over and how do we bury most of our chances?. Formation is the key! We need technically sound and defence minded midfielders who are good on the ball. The main onus falls on Arteta! Our slow build up most times makes us predictable! Arteta need to work on these players to bring out the best in them. Hope we get it right this time around!
Point blank truth bro.
Well he is a great player but football is a team sport and we aren’t talking about Messi here..
Very good analysis. Jesus’s goal ratio when starting games in very impressive. But what I like most about him is his hunger and humility,l.
Jesus save us!
Good start and I suspect the pinnacle role he will be given will do him and others around him the power of good! 🙌
while the arsenal management continues to keep faith in Xhaka then i believe jesus will improve our team.my point being ,jesus scores at one end,and, xhaka goes and gets a yellow card,or worse, gets himself sent off. and, apart from that, if it was not enough, xhaka in incapable of finding a through pass, instead he goes for safety and goes backwards or sideways.his tackling is of sunday league standard. so, unfortunately ,NO is the answer to the question posed by the author.we could have mbappe playing alongside jesus, but, it would not make a bit of difference.xhaka is the teams creator of chaos.
You have said it as it is.
apologies, jesus will not improve our team that line should have read,sorry.
He has come from the next level, so of course he has the qualities to bring to Arsenal. The big difference is Arsenal are not man City and Arteta is not Pep. The standard of ability is lower than city and he is now the main man. The question is can he cope with the responsibility of being THE main man?
Does he fit into Arsenal is another big question? And can he lead the line like the way we play and be a success. Im hopeful rather than confident.
Not sure , I haven’t seen him carrying the team at city , so I don’t expect that will happen here . Seems like a panic buy for me . He will improve the team for sure
It’s not just about Gabriel Jesus. It’s those around him. Will they play at a fast pace…if so we need the base of the team to be fast. So the era for Xhaka is over. The young flyers, Saka, Martinelli can match him. We are midfield player short. When Party returns (the case is all over African newspapers), and he will, we will have strength. We need to sign a midfield player (come back Santi), a LB, a strong tallish striker for Plan B games…..and who knows….we will have a team.
Why not try to get Danny Ings as a Plan B game striker?