Why Gabriel Jesus can fire Arsenal into the top four

Arsenal are closing in on long-term target Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, with the diminutive forward thought to be the one to fix the Gunners striker worries.

It is hard to fathom that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal were just one win away from securing Champions League football with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as the main strikers.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moved on to Barcelona, the Gunners attacking stocks were relatively thin up top. That is something that ultimately proved to be the club’s downfall late in the season.

The main priority this summer was to secure a striker of serious calibre, something easier said than done with no Champions League football to offer. However, with fresh reports of Arsenal agreeing to a fee of £45m as per Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are edging ever closer to securing their main target.

Can Gabriel Jesus be the forward Arsenal has craved?

But can he be ‘the guy’ to fire the Gunners into the top four? Simply looking at how close Arsenal got last season even after their disastrous start and poor finish, coupled with only having Lacazette and Nketiah as its main striking options, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Looking at what Arsenal’s creators did last season, adding in Jesus will surely amount to more goals scored.

Bukayo Saka (62) and Martin Odegaard (61) ranked fifth and sixth for chances created in the Premier League last season, while potential incoming player Raphinha was seventh with 58. Put Jesus on the pitch with those three, and the goals will flow.

The Gunners were somewhat surprisingly the third-winningest team in the league last year, winning 22 games. Only Manchester City and Liverpool won more games. Arsenal did that with only Lacazatte and Nketiah for half a season.

Jesus also had 25 shots on goal in the league last season in his 28 games, which would have him second on the Gunners list with Saka top on 31 shots. His modest goal tally of eight league goals would also have him third on Arsenal’s goalscoring list.

So, the goal threat is there. With Odegaard, Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, and Fabio Vieira all feeding Jesus the ball, he will get his fair share of chances.

Jesus also fits right into the Arsenal style of play under Mikel Arteta. His high pressing and tenacity will see him chase down a lot of balls for the good of the team. His pace is also something opposing teams will have to combat as well. When he plays wide right, he’s a relentless runner in behind.

The fact that Arsenal got so close to the top four last season would suggest that adding a player like Jesus would seriously improve the side in attacking terms. He has movement, the requisite football IQ, and when chances come his way, he is clinical (see his four goals v Watford). Although, he isn’t the most consistent of ball-strikers, that has to be said.

The 25-year-old’s impending arrival is only a good thing for Arsenal. Having shown big improvements last campaign, only to be undone without a quality forward to lead from the front, Gabriel Jesus can be the guy to score the goals needed to fire Arsenal back into the Champions League.