Arsenal beat Brentford 3-1 in a Premier League match last Wednesday, January 1, to move into the second position in the league table with 39 points from 19 matches. They still trail Liverpool by six points and the Reds also have a match in hand. With one significant in-form player for The Gunners, there are many positives surrounding the North London club.
Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli scored for the Gunners after Brentford had taken the lead in the first half. Jesus, who will turn 28 this year, is enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment. He has now scored six goals in his last four matches, thus propelling his team to better performance.
Gabriel Jesus: An in-form player making the difference
Arsenal are missing the services of Bukayo Saka at the moment and the right-winger is not going to feature in any match this month. Kai Havertz has had an average season and is not the ideal No. 9 any team would look for.
In such a scenario, it becomes very important for the Gunners for one of their attacking players to step up and perform. Jesus has often found him out of the starting XI for Arsenal since coming to the club from Manchester City.
He has only made 93 appearances for the Gunners and is into his third season at the club. His tally of 26 goals for the North Londoners is quite a modest one, given his ability. He has primarily been used as a substitute during the last couple of seasons, which does not do justice to the great talent he has as a player.
Hence, his recent return to form is great news for Mikel Arteta’s men. If Jesus makes the position of No. 9 his own, Arteta will be a relieved man. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners try to sign a specialist striker in the ongoing Transfer Window. Either way, Jesus is going to remain a very important player in their set-up.
Arsenal should find it difficult to surpass Liverpool
Liverpool lead the Gunners by six points with a match in hand. With half of the Premier League season being over, it is a pretty sizable lead and it should take a really monumental effort from the Gunners to overcome.
The Gunners finished second-best to Manchester City in each of the last two seasons despite coming really close. They will not want a repeat of that, with Liverpool replacing the Cityzens as the ultimate winners.
The Reds are in red-hot form at the moment, winning their matches easily and giving their opponents hardly any chance. Hence, Arsenal cannot afford any slip-ups from their side if they are to keep the pressure on Liverpool.
In this regard, the in-form player from Brazil should prove to be very important for them. If he becomes the go-to man for the London club for scoring goals, he has to keep performing consistently. He has won multiple titles at Manchester City in the past and hence, has the requisite experience at this level. Hence, his good form remains a very key factor for the title-challengers in Arteta’s men.
Leave a Reply