1) Wants ‘main man’ role
Throughout his time at Manchester City, Jesus was just one of several attacking superstars, and often faded into the background behind the likes of Aguero, De Bruyne, Sterling and more. However, at Arsenal, he has been signed to be the main man. The 25-year-old was purchased to be the clinical forward that Arsenal have been missing for some time. Something tells me that the Brazilian will relish being the side’s main man and will embrace the goalscoring responsibility that will be handed to him. Time to step into the limelight.
2) He’s Premier League proven
Not many players can instantaneously transfer their form from a foreign league straight into Premier League football, just take our former number 9 as a prime example. Alexandre Lacazette was signed for an, at the time, club record fee after winning the Ligue 1 Player of The Season Award, scoring 28 goals in 30 league games. However, when it came to Premier League goalscoring, Laca’s best season was only half as clinical, when he netted 14 goals in 32 appearances in the 2017/18 season. Laca failed to be the star striker that could fire us back into the Champions League spots and never managed to replicate the sort of form in France that saw him be regarded as one of Europe’s best frontmen. On the other hand, we know what we’re getting with Jesus. Having been signed by City in 2016 at just 19 years of age, Jesus has grown up in England and has already proved that he can score goals in the toughest league in the world, even with severely limited starts. With regular game time and the main man role, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Brazilian can step up and notch 15-25 league goals in his debut season in red and white.
3) Suits squad profile
If there’s one thing that Mikel Arteta has succeeded in doing at Arsenal, it’s giving an identity to his 23-man squad. Gabriel Jesus is young, hungry, hard-working, talented and has his prime ahead of him. He ticks every box for the sort of profile of player that Arteta so highly favours, and slots into the side perfectly.
4) He’s used to winning
Jesus joins Arsenal and instantly becomes the most successful player in the squad in terms of major honours won. With 4 Premier Leagues, 3 EFL Cups and 1 FA Cup to his name, Gabriel Jesus is a proven winner and brings with him a sort of winning mentality that can’t do anything but help his teammates around him. To put things into perspective, Gabriel Jesus has won more Premier Leagues than Arsenal. That’s pretty crazy to think about.
5) He’s a top presser
Along with excellent off-the-field attributes, Jesus brings with him several on-field traits that make him a dream for Mikel Arteta’s system. The pick of the bunch being his elite pressing, which is a requisite characteristic for the central forward in the Spaniard’s starting XI (sorry Auba + Laca). Not only is the Brazilian a top presser, but he also ticks the boxes of versatility, interchangeability and fluidity and has proven that he can score goals from whichever one of the front three positions that his manager asks him to play. Perfect.
6) Familiarity with Arteta and Brazilian Gunners
It’s always positive when a manager already has a relationship with a player and manages to reunite with him. Arteta and Jesus are more than familiar with each other from the pair’s time at Manchester City, and Jesus spoke glowingly of his former assistant coach in his first interview with Arsenal.com, stating that he believes ‘100% in Mikel’. Jesus also mentioned the fact that he already has a relationship with some of the Brazilian boys at the club, which no doubt will have helped him to settle in.
7) He’s a proven poacher
Gabriel Jesus has scored 58 goals inside the box in his Premier League career – that’s more than any other player in the competition’s history. We’ve bought a man who knows where to be and knows where the goal is. Let’s hope he can score another 58+ from inside the box in red and white.
8) His Prime is still ahead of him
At just 25 years of age, Jesus has his prime years ahead of him. There’s no doubt in my mind that we already are yet to see the best of the Brazilian, who has never been trusted to start 15+ consecutive games as his side’s main forward. Once he gets a couple of seasons under his belt of being our goalscoring number nine, who knows what sort of a player Gabriel Jesus can be once he begins to enter his prime years.
9) Will want to start hot ahead of Winter World Cup
If a player ever needed an incentive to start the season off with a bang, it’s the fact that this year’s World Cup will take place half-way into the Premier League season in the Winter of 2022. Jesus will no doubt want to immediately find his goalscoring feet in North London so that he can be in favour of nailing down a starting spot for his beloved Brazilian National team, where competition for attacking positions is rife, in order to help fire his country to glory in Qatar.
10) 27.27% of the XI are named Gabriel
3 of Arsenal’s starting 11 are now Brazilians named Gabriel. That is all.
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