Gabriel Jesus Was the Weak Link for Arsenal in 2023-24 – Is it time to say Adios? | OneFootball

Manchester City have Erling Haaland. Liverpool have Mohamed Salah. Arsenal have Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian is not of the same calibre as the aforementioned duo, and that has held Arsenal back at times over the last couple of seasons.

Great teams invariably have a truly elite goal scorer. Jesus, who has never had more than 14 goals in a league campaign, is not that. The history of the Premier League is littered with brilliant centre forwards from Alan Shearer and Andy Cole to Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Paddy Power, which has a huge range of markets for betting on football, prices Arsenal at 7/4 to win the 2024-25 Premier League title. The Gunners finished just two points behind Manchester City in 2023-24 but didn’t have a single player score more than 16 league goals.

Where Does Jesus Fit in at Arsenal

If Arsenal are to finally overcome City in 2025, they need to address their weakest link. Jesus was superseded by Kai Havertz during last season, and it’s hard to see what his role will be going forward.

Yes, he was used as a supersub for City at times, but last term was the fifth time in six seasons that Jesus underperformed his expected goals and the third season in a row. He’s too often wasteful in front of goal – his 0.39 expected goals per 90 last season also represented a marked drop-off. He scored just 0.24 goals per 90 minutes.

Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Dominic Solanke were just a few of the players to generate more expected goals per 90 than Jesus. Rodri, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Douglas Luiz, and Danny Welbeck scored more goals per 90.

These numbers make for bleak reading. Jesus was playing in a lethal attack, but his statistics look like he was part of a mediocre, mid-table side. Arsenal’s attack is egalitarian compared to some of their rivals, but that does not justify Jesus’ output.

Disappointing Goal Returns

Since signing for Arsenal in 2022, Jesus has 15 non-penalty Premier League goals in 3,542 minutes. In 2023-24 alone, 11 Premier League players had more than 15 goals, including Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jared Bowen, and Jesus’ teammate Bukayo Saka.

Finding a reliable, well-suited striker isn’t easy. With the attacking talent Mikel Arteta has at his disposal, this team is capable of winning major trophies with Havertz leading the line. At the same time, a true, consistent goalscorer would heighten their ceiling, just as Haaland made City into treble winners.

Alternatively, Arteta could look in-house for a player of that nature. Saka is the best fit, but perhaps Havertz can increase his goal tally or Gabriel Martinelli can make a meaningful leap.

Jesus improved Arsenal when he was signed, but the Gunners’ rapid evolution under Arteta has seen the team pass him by. They have outgrown a striker of his skillset and production.

Arsenal were so close to winning a first league title in two decades. With 28 wins and 89 points on the board, they didn’t do too much wrong, but one can’t help wondering if they would have pipped City with an upgrade on Jesus.