Five Premier League Players with The Biggest Point to Prove Next Season

Jesus: The Missing Piece of Arteta’s Puzzle at Arsenal?

Arsenal is back in the Europa League after enjoying the club’s best finish under manager Mikel Arteta. A top-four finish and a trophy of some sort are eminent on Arteta’s mind this season. In a bid to accomplish all that he must reinforce his current squad.

He has so far gotten the services of Gabriel Jesus for a fee of €58 million, which he believes was the missing piece of his puzzle. Having worked with Jesus before, Arteta knows what an in-form player of his caliber can deliver.

The slick Brazilian has over 50 caps for his country, and three Premier League titles under his belt. Apart from goals, the striker will bring loads of experience having played under the tutelage of arguably one of the best coaches in world football today.

The 25-year-old former Manchester City player looks comfortable with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard in pre-season. So far, the talismanic striker has scored 3 goals and assisted 2 as the team prepares in the United States for the start of the league on August 5, 2022.

In a spell that lasted over 5 seasons, Jesus has scored 58 goals and collected 29 assists in the Premier League while playing backup to former City striker Sergio Aguero. Jesus’ best season during that spell was 2019/2020 where he scored 14 goals and made 7 assists from 34 games.

Gabriel Jesus Offers Arsenal Versatile

The talented and versatile forward is capable of playing in several attacking positions. Arteta can use him as a center forward, as an out-and-out striker, as a false 9, as an inside forward, as a winger, or as an attacking midfielder. He is renowned for his pace, technical darting runs, and his mesmerizing dribbling skills.

This makes Jesus a very good fit for Arsenal who loves to build from the back with a sweeper keeper, positional kind of play. The Gunners use the 4-3-3 conventional system, a system of the fluid City style false 9, or indeed more likely the new Liverpool style of 4-3-3. Jesus’s flexibility, dependability, and work rate will provide Arsenal with what they have been lacking since the departure of Olivier Giroud.

Arsenal also uses the 3-4-3 hybrid system, but their most common system is the 4-2-3-1, which suits Jesus quite well. Whichever is used by Pep’s protégé, Jesus promises to set the Emirate on fire.