Gabriel Jesus endured another frustrating outing in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, as he failed to make an impact despite being allowed to lead the line. His struggles were further highlighted when 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri came off the bench late in the game and found the net, showcasing the kind of clinical finishing Arsenal fans have been longing to see from their starting striker.
Since his arrival from Manchester City in 2022, Jesus has managed just 15 Premier League goals, a figure that falls short of expectations for a striker leading a title-challenging side. According to Football Insider, a section of Arsenal fans appears to have lost patience with the Brazilian, with some calling for the club to part ways with him as soon as January. The report suggests that these supporters feel Jesus has failed to develop in his time at the Emirates and no longer offers the cutting edge needed to propel Arsenal to silverware.
Despite his lack of goals, Mikel Arteta continues to show faith in Jesus, likely valuing his work rate, versatility, and ability to link up play. However, critics argue that these attributes are insufficient without consistent goal-scoring contributions, especially in a team with aspirations of winning the Premier League. The emergence of young talents like Nwaneri only adds pressure on the experienced forward to deliver when given opportunities.
Arsenal must weigh their options carefully as the January transfer window approaches. While selling Jesus could provide funds to invest in a more clinical striker, the club would need to ensure they have adequate replacements lined up to maintain squad depth during a demanding campaign. Regardless, the Brazilian’s future at the club will depend heavily on his ability to rediscover his scoring touch in the weeks to come.
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His first season was good, not great.
Second season we made excuses because of injuries, partly because Havertz and Saka were so great.
This year there is no excuse. Goals galore or go! Make space for someone fresh in the squad.
“Arsenal fans have had enough of Gabriel Jesus”
“A section of Arsenal fans seem to have lost patience with the Brazilian”
I’m confused!!
I watched him putting in a very good stint yesterday and he would have scored, but for a great save.
A section of our fans seem to want most players gone at one time or another!! 🤔
We need a world class striker. Not a very good stint or he would have scored striker if we want to win something. If as a striker Havertz is playing and scoring more than you then he doesn’t deserve a place in that team. We’re done with him.
Good is not good enough if you are chasing titles and cups. That’s the reason we haven’t won in Europe and the EPL since the last 20 years. Give any amount of reasons or excuses, the facts don’t change. Mediocre players and overrated coaches/managers will win you nothing but find a way to bluff their faithful followers into believing.
I thought he was very good yesterday – imo we need a new striker but that doesn’t mean we need to sell Jesus (unless for wage reasons I guess).
People have it drilled into their heads that a striker needs to score loads of goals or else he’s useless, but if they make the team better, who cares? Jesus still has to prove that yesterday wasn’t a one off (he’s been quite poor in general for quite a while imo, not just his lack of goals), but if he can do that, he’s still an asset that we don’t gain anything from pushing out.
I remember eidur gudjohnsen going from a good/very good striker to a brilliant midfielder, I think shortly after mourinho joined Chelsea – something like that might be a good option for jesus if/when a new striker comes in.
Can hardly believe it’s you saying this Ken.
Since when did you start accepting “good” players on world class wages as being what we need.
That guy is on bloody £14m every season.
dgr8xt, as far as salaries are concerned, every PL player is on absurd wages and Jesus is no different, so, for me, salaries don’t come into the discussion.
With our system of play under MA, it’s not just one specific job that a player has to do, it’s being part of a team, making spaces, supporting defence, midfield and attack.
There isn’t space now for the wonderful skills of, say, Ozil or Eastham – football has changed and players are expected to do all the skills that are needed to be successful, just look at the role of a goalkeeper versus another wonderful keeper of a few years ago, David Seaman.
As Grandad said below, one needs to be aware of the complete picture given by a player and I take you back to the last two seasons, when we were scoring goals from many different players, while being very successful.
Just my opinion of course, but the days of a specialised positional player are no more.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Ken.Jesus and Trossard interchanged on numerous occasions on Saturday and their running off the ball opened spaces for other Arsenal players.I really don’t care who scores for us as long as we win and perform convincingly ,as we did against NF.
I think 🤔 1 of the reasons for Arteta still having faith in him is the work rate. For instance, when he plays, he draws attention to himself by his dribbling, giving space for people like Saka. When absent, you see like 3 defenders on Saka but when he’s present, the reverse is the case.
Jesus is a honest player who gives 100% but we need more than he is delivering when it comes to scoring goals. I would sell him and use the money towards a prolific goal scorer. Just because someone is a prolific goal scorer it does not mean he doesn’t have a high work rate too.
We aren’t going to sell GJ in Jan we’re going to need him this season I thought he was decent on sat he helped us to look more fluid in attack we did well holding onto possession and his movement was good and his defensive game was also good It was our best performance of the season thanks to the whole team that started and finished. Hopefully, it’s a start to returning to form because if we can get him back to his fluid and dangerous best then he could be useful this season Arteta will want him back to help out for the rest of the season I’m sure I don’t see us getting a big name striker in Jan that’s more of a summer move
there is no way Arsenal are going to sell Jesus without a replacement striker in
and getting a quality striker in January is not going to happen
so Jesus stays until at least the summer
No not so fast, there is signs the former man city man is returning to life.
Does anyone remembered what happened after selling the old lamp post ?
“there are signs the former man city man is returning to life.” As he’s a striker – we know this, it’s in his job description after all – tell us when he last scored a goal in the EPL?
Bertie
Gabriel Jesús is a player I adores more for what he does with the ball than putting it in the back of the net, scoring goals is just a single component of the modern game, football is more than that.
At his best. Jesús is the cog that starts Arsenal attacks, he’s not a prolific striker, but a complete team player.
Arsenal for the last couple of campaigns does not have a goal scoring crisis, it’s the creative spark we lack recently that put us in this precarious position and that having some fans shouting for the next shiny toy.
We will all settle down as normal service resume
Then let’s try and offload Jesus (easier said than done I suspect) and bring in someone who can do what they’re paid to do.
You keep on about “the next shiny toy” – but the one we have is broken, so it’s hardly a comparison.
P/S You didn’t answer the question about his last EPL goal. It was against Forest on 30 January 2024.
Bertie
Just saw this, the Brazilian was never bought as a prolific goal scorer, think the gaffer appreciate his work rate, versatility and his sheer ability to link up play.
And please don’t underestimate the value of a good team player as highly technical as the Brazilian
I think Gabby is a solid support striker or winger. But I think the ship has sailed on the question of how much better he can get. There is no “next level” he’s going to take his game to. At best, he will rediscover the form from his first season, which still really wasn’t good enough. The good thing about him is that he will never stop working hard. Unfortunately his best efforts will never be good enough.
AFC won’t win anything with a Centre Forward that cannot score goals
Some fans here are going on about his work rate and other things he contributes. All commendable although I’m sure other players in other positions in the team do the same. However, it’s not, at the end of the day, what Jesus is primarily being paid a fortune by Arsenal for, is it.
I think some of us are losing track of what Jesus is actually on the pitch for. Here’s a dictionary definition to refresh our collective memory:
“A striker in soccer is the furthermost attacker on the field. Their main task is to score goals.”
Holding on to that definition, Jesus has scored one goal since January 2024 (against Preston in the League Cup). Last season he scored 4 goals in 27 EPL games, a total bettered by 7 other Arsenal players, by the way. Whatever “spin” some fans want to put on his other attributes, those stats are embarrassingly bad not just for him but for Arsenal as his employer.
If, say, Raya wasn’t doing his job as a keeper for the last 18 months or so, or Saliba wasn’t doing his as a defender what would the reaction be? Exactly. So why should it be any different in the case of Jesus? Fans and the club have a right to expect goals from this player – and they’re just not getting them.
I doubt Arsenal will try and sell Jesus in the January window unless a replacement can be brought in. Also, there’s no indication he wants to go and as his contract runs until summer 2027 Arsenal could be stuck with him for a long, and very expensive, time yet.
You’re using the dictionary to determine what arsenal are primarily paying jesus to do for arsenal?
If you go by that argument Defoe was a much better striker than bergkamp.
Imo jesus still has to prove he’s back playing good football consistently, but his job is to help the team win – however he accomplishes that, I don’t particularly care. It shouldn’t need saying, but hypothetically we’d all prefer a striker who never scored if it meant we’d win every game over a striker who always scores but means we lose every game, surely.
No, I’m using the definition to show what, as a striker, what his primary task is.
You’re right in saying that his job is to help the team win – by scoring goals. After all, Wenger always ensure his teams had an effective No. 9. Do you think he really would have stuck with Jesus?
As I said in another post, all the other stuff Jesus does is fine but it’s the icing on the cake, the “cake” is goals and there’s no way around that.
There is – if you have other goal threats – Liverpool didn’t need a goalscoring no 9 when they last won the title. Did firmino fail because he didn’t do his primary job, when they won the title? Even city won the title with Jesus as their main striker (28 games, I think they put gudogan up front for a number of matches), without aguero – their top scorers when he last won it with them were de bruyne and sterling
Bertie,
I thought this about Lacerzete when he was at Arsenal.
In his early days at the club, he scored goals and looked to be a good signing.
But as time went on, he seemed to become more and more of a hard working player than doing the job he was paid for, just like Jesus.
I’m can’t quite remember the stat that I read about him, but it was something like he went over 30 games where he didn’t score from open play, and the only goal he scored was a penalty.
And all you would hear if you questioned him as a striker, was pretty much the same as you have to listen to regarding Jesus.
When I hear a fan or manager bigging up a players work rate so what. For me that’s a given, and any player that doesn’t at least give the team that shouldn’t be anywhere near the team in the first place.
Liverpool could win the League this season without a prolific goal scoring centre forward.They of course have a certain Mr Salah but our own,younger version is not too far behind him.
Grandad,
What player of ours are you referring to.
Liverpool may well win the League this season without a prolific centre forward.They do of course have a certain Mr Salah but then our younger version namely Saka , has proved he can convert readily from central positions.Perhaps After a should give him a go at centre forward?
I think G Jesus role in the team should be redefined to winger, attacking mid fielder or supporting striker. He is not that CF that will propel us into winning the league because he does not score that many goals even though he has an incredible work rate.
The currency for titles is goals and not work rate!
I think GJ fancies Arsenal and Arteta fancies him, this contract could be renegotiated and he could be given a wage cut if Arsenal decides to keep him.
“The currency for titles is goals and not work rate!” Hear, hear.
I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for Jesus to accept a pay cut from his current £14m salary. He’s contracted until summer 2027 and if he wants to stay (regardless of what Arsenal may want) he will, and at full salary.
And to think Bertie,
They are expected to play 3 games in 7 days, the poor little cherubs.😢
So many twists and turns, but don’t forget the point of attacking players; goal threats and the forefront of attacks.
Jesus doesn’t score goals or give assists, he runs around, presses, drops deep in midfield, yet doesn’t score.
We have a LB that inverts and does so much else, but Zinchenko can’t defend 1v1 to save his life.
Remind me why we replaced Ramsdale with Raya?
Imagine trying to justify a goalkeeper by arguing his distribution, dribbling, and passing range, however is bad at shot stopping and saving goals.
Nothing “striker” about Jesus; he is a winger at best, and quite average at that.