Arsenal’s attack hasn’t clicked in recent weeks; at times it has felt like it is only the defence doing all the work, like if we don’t get a clean sheet, we lose.
As much as we want our attack to be effective and as much as we’re advocating for the signing of a striker during the winter transfer window, don’t you believe Mikel Arteta should be more aggressive in his attack?
Arteta should consider fielding Gabriel Jesus in the striker force. I am aware that many people may disagree with this suggestion.
But if Jesus is a striker at Arsenal, and there’s been nothing to suggest he’s been turned into a winger, he should start at least the next 5-6 games with Havertz sitting on the bench to get the motivation to return to his form.
“As I said from day one, the first feeling when I saw him after talking to him at the end of the season, it was something different,” Arteta said in a post-match press conference back in August.
“I could sense it. His energy was different, the way he looks is different, the way he’s moving is different, and he really wants it.
“Now it’s a question of finding the consistency and doing it consistently and doing it in any context, any situation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 70 minutes. OK, what are you able to produce in those circumstances? But he looks good.”
But Jesus still hasn’t been able to get a sustained run in the team. He’s struggling with consistency; he was excellent against Inter but poor again at Chelsea.
Regardless of how poorly he may perform in the eyes of us fans for 2-3 games, I believe he could find his consistency with a run of games while also bringing a more attacking dimension up front, which is different from what Havertz has been offering.
As physically good as the Brazilian international looked, I feel with a run of games he could get his mojo back.
Arsenal aren’t in a favorable place; they haven’t won in 4 games.Arsenal needs to hold Gabriel Jesus to higher standards.
He’s a proven winner, one of our leaders and highest earners. He needs to step up during tough times if we’re going to win titles, and him doing so at the moment could massively turn things around as far as his Arsenal future is concerned.
Peter Rix
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No, it’s time for him to move on.
No it’s not, the fans are more in danger in the stands than Jesus hitting the target.
I think we should move him on when possible.
Ho, ho – but unfortunately true so the joke is on Arsenal and the fans, I fear.
Whether he’ll want to move on and give up his huge salary, second highest only to Havertz currently, remains to be seen. Decision, decisions.
No, move him on and get someone who contributes to goals, not run around playing his own game. Not very well.
No Jesus should play his way into the starting lineup. Earn his way from the subs bench, not gifted a run of games when his performances don’t merit the starts.
Secondly, play Havertz centrally as a CF; he produces at least, and the team gels and plays better with more fluidity.
Stop shifting and drifting Havertz all over the place; false 9, on the wing, deeper in the midfield; stop tinkering. While Arteta is at it, stop shifting our best, most consistent midfielder to play RB.
How many defenders has Arteta bought, and still play a midfielder at RB?
Timber at RB, and Kiwior or Zinchenko at LB; MLS is a less developed option, but can get sub minutes.
Durand,
That’s why I question the squad’s depth and quality, as If Arteta had confidence in Kiwior or Zinchenko he would play them when needed.
It seems to me at least, he doesn’t have complete faith in either of them.
Thought’s anyone.
It’s good to be optimistic, but I’m not sure we should hold our collective breath waiting for Jesus to play his way into the starting line-up.
I think he’s scored a single goal across all competitions since January 2024 – and that was against those defensive titans, Preston in the League Cup.
I’m at a loss to see what he actually contributes when on the pitch at any time frankly. It’s not goals (certainly) and it’s not assists (certainly), so what does this No. 9 do? All I’m aware of is that he collects around £14m a year in salary.
If Jesus plays CF, Merino must be ready to receive Raya’s long passes
Havertz becomes a starter because he is Raya’s main target to escape from the opposition’s high press
Or keep Havertz in the CF position to receive long crosses from Odegaard/ Saka and play Jesus in the left-sided AM position
Jesus’ skills and tenacity would likely make him successful in the AM position
He should be given away just like prone to injury and unproductive players who were not signed under Arteta were given away.
What does Gabriel Jesus bring to the team that the so called deadwoods could not? Or ESR, Nketiah, Nelson could not?
HH,
In full agreement, well said.
Havertz should be up front. He’s not a real CF but he’s the best CF we have
BTW. Well done to Kai for the goal and assist on Saturday
No, he should move on. The time has passed just like it did for Nketiah. Until the end of the season he is OK for depth on the wing, but as a striker he is a dud. Even if he hit a purple patch it would not change my mind that he should be sold in the summer.
We saw ruthlessness when it was with ESR or Nketiah, even now with Zinchenko to a lesser degree.
It would be nice if it was consistent, and applied to all players in a like manner. It is baffling why Jesus is still here, and why we are seemingly not considering any offers to move him on.
Even at his best he is not a goal scorer, and certainly not a striker by any sense of the word. Lately he seems more of a disruptive force in the lineup, that struggles to contribute, and looks like he is playing his own game on the pitch.
His effort and work ethic was never in doubt, but his productivity is called into question far too often to be considered an option in attack.
I think there are better options off the bench, and Nwaneri is an example of someone who can change a game as a sub, and have a positive impact.
Trossard, Nwaneri, even Martinelli coming off the bench all can impact a game. Unfortunately, neither Jesus or Sterling have moved the needle in terms of impact.
I agree. There’s a false impression doing the rounds from time to time that Jesus is a prolific scorer. As you say, that’s not true looking at his record and it really comes down to that for a player wearing No.9.
I suspect that if Arteta seriously wants to move him on (and he’s invested quite a lot of prestige in getting him, so that may be a factor), there are probably very few takers willing to offer any sort of reasonable return – the smallest loss possible for Arsenal. His huge salary at Arsenal and his contract until 2027 can’t help much either I imagine.
Unless Jesus really wants to leave the club, I think Arsenal are stuck with him for some time yet.