There will be a new subplot to the north London derby on Saturday: the simmering battle to be Brazil’s No9 at this winter’s World Cup.
Tottenham’s Richarlison strengthened his grip on the shirt during the international break with three goals across the friendly wins over Ghana and Tunisia — the latter of which was marred by racist abuse when a banana was thrown at him as he celebrated scoring in Paris.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus is also competing for one of football’s most iconic roles, and his professional rivalry with Richarlison has taken on a new dynamic since both made big-money moves to north London in the summer.
Despite his outstanding start for his new club, Jesus was a surprise omission from the squad for Brazil’s final camp before Qatar, raising the real possibility that he could miss out on the tournament altogether.
Tite, the Brazil coach, has insisted Jesus remains in his thoughts but Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and Flamengo’s Pedro were picked ahead of him as centre-forwards.
Jesus can also play wide but Tite has no shortage of options there, with Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and new Manchester United signing Anthony all in his latest squad. Larger than usual World Cup squads of 26, rather than 23, will help Jesus’s case but the Gunners forward now faces an anxious wait until mid-November.
For Jesus, a place on the plane to Qatar would mean a second chance. He was Brazil’s No9 at the last World Cup in 2018 and few in the country have forgotten that he failed to score in six appearances in Russia.
Richarlison, by contrast, is less tainted by history, having made his international debut after the tournament, in September 2018.
In Jesus’ favour, he is now playing through the middle for Arsenal, having generally been a winger for Manchester City, and his end product is already much improved, with four goals and three assists in his first seven appearances.
By contrast, Richarlison is unlikely to get much if any time at centre-forward before Qatar, with Harry Kane always leading the line for Spurs.
Head to head
Gabriel Jesus
Signed: from Manchester City for £45m
Age: 25 (April 3, 1997)
Premier League record - Appearances: 166, Goals: 62, Assists: 32
Brazil record - Caps: 56, Goals: 19
Richarlison
Signed: from Everton for £60m
Age: 25 (May 10, 1997)
Premier League record - Appearances: 179, Goals: 48, Assists: 18
Brazil record - Caps: 37, Goals: 16
Doubts about his opportunities since swapping Everton for Spurs are already proving unfounded, however. Richarlison has started the last four matches for Antonio Conte’s side, and made himself a firm fan favourite with a series of full-throttle displays and two goals in the win over Marseille in the Champions League.
For this weekend’s game, the situation should favour Arsenal, who host their neighbours on Saturday lunchtime aiming to remain top of the table.
While Richarlison continued his fine form during the break, Mikel Arteta will presumably not be disappointed that Jesus had a fortnight’s rest during this most hectic of seasons.
Richarlison is expected to start at the Emirates because Dejan Kulusevski is a doubt, and he will be less fresh than Jesus after starting both Brazil games.
Long-term, too, the dynamic may work in Arsenal’s favour, given the relentless schedule and mid-season World Cup. Missing out on Qatar would be a blow for Jesus but for top-six sides, the fewer of their players who attend the tournament, the better their prospects in the second half of the campaign.
Jesus and Richarlison already boast nearly 100 caps between them and are both 25, born a month apart, but this season nonetheless feels like a watershed in their careers.
For Jesus, it is the chance to prove himself as a leading man and in his preferred position after years as part of the support cast at City, while Richarlison is enjoying his first taste of competing at the top end of the table and in the Champions League.
Both will be aiming to use Saturday to continue their excellent starts to the season, and further their claims to be Brazil’s focal point in Qatar.
