Gabriel Jesus: Given His History Of Receiving Infractions, Where Would Arsenal Be Without Him?

Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Jesus scored his fourth goal of the season as Arsenal defeated Brentford 3-0 to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League on Sunday  After losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette this summer, Mikel Arteta was in desperate need of a new striker. The club’s swift signing of Gabriel Jesus in July may have been one of their best business decisions ever.

Gabriel Jesus Risks Missing A Crucial Game For The Gunners

The Gunners have won six games this season thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ four goals and three assists from seven starts, and his £45 million move from Manchester City has already shown how crucial he is to Arteta in the early going. To return to the top four and possibly give a remote possibility of a title challenge this season, Arsenal needed to not only buy a new striker this summer, but also one who is a guaranteed goalscorer and can contribute regularly.

Gabriel Jesus managed to score 95 goals and 46 assists in 236 games for the reigning Premier League champions despite playing second fiddle to Sergio Aguero for the duration of his City career – and that was without being a reliable starter. But having already collaborated with the Brazilian forward while serving as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium, Arteta was aware of his potential should he be given the chance to play regularly for the first team as the club’s first-choice attacker.

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Aubameyang scored four goals in the Premier League last season after just 14 games, whereas Lacazette needed 30 to reach the same total. Jesus has already matched those totals this season in just seven games, and he has three more assists to add to that remarkable feat.

However, Arsenal has already accrued five points this year thanks to three goals and two assists. In August, he scored twice and provided two assists as the Gunners defeated Leicester City 4-2, and he also scored the first goal in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Arsenal would be in fourth place and three points behind Man City and Tottenham without them.

It is hard to conceive how much more of an influence Jesus will have throughout the following 31 games if Arsenal is already depending on him to keep them at the top of the table after just seven games of the new season. For Arteta’s team, the Brazilian’s combination of mobility, placement, and finishing is already a game-changer.

Gabriel Jesus

The main reason Gabriel Jesus has been successful so far this season—as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said after Jesus’ goal against Brentford—is that he was in the right location at the right time.

Arsenal’s main worry, though, is that Gabriel Jesus will soon be suspended after receiving his fourth caution of the year against Brentford. He will be forced to miss the crucial match against Liverpool the following week if he sustains another injury in the North London derby on October 1.

Jesus has given Arsenal an entirely new dimension this season, and Arteta must be on his best behaviour against Spurs to avoid losing him to suspension for any game, let alone one against Liverpool. He will also soon be travelling to Chelsea on November 6 if he doesn’t receive a booking in the next four games.

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