What a debut from Gabriel Jesus. If I could describe the perfect opening minutes from a new player, I do not think I could even come close to what we witnessed today.
Now before we lose our minds, let us bring ourselves back to the reality that this was Arsenal’s first game of pre-season. There are four to go and then the serious stuff gets underway, for which I am thankful considering some of the drawbacks of the performance.
However, to bring the focus again to Gabriel Jesus, there was a standout shift in the display of not just the whole team but one individual as the Brazilian arrived. The opening goal for the Gunners came from Jesus not playing through the middle but on the right.
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Picking up the ball, driving at the opposition, playing a low forced ball through to Eddie Nketiah whose weighted return was perfectly angled for Jesus to pick up, and finish brilliantly. Jesus could have had a second not so long after when Nketiah’s strike hit the bar before deflecting off a Nurnberg defender
Nketiah was brought to life by the arrival of Jesus. His first-half display was lonely and without aid. Nicolas Pepe, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe played more selfishly and without thought.
It was a half which felt forced, and it cost the Gunners on the break when loose passes and wild efforts led to little more than a couple of corners. Enter Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli and it all changed.
Not to mention this was a side without several offensive players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and new boy Fabio Vieira. Perhaps a side that could see progressive midfielder Youri Tielemans arrive this summer.
But the partnership of Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus has been something very few have even discussed. One or the other. That was what I believe most, including me, expected.
They would rotate with Jesus starting in the Premier League and perhaps latter cup stages both domestic and in Europe. With Nketiah coming off the bench and starting the cup and Europa League group stage games.
This might still be the case, but what we witnessed today was the potential for something else. The possibility that these two can play together.
Jesus was on the receiving end of the passes and plays of Nketiah today, however, we know all too well that the former Man City forward is one of the most creative in the business regularly dropping big numbers of assists.
Movement in the opposition box has been something incredibly lacking from the Arsenal sides of the past three seasons. Now is the time that this ends, and two forward capable of finishing, deceiving and creating could be an exciting formula for the upcoming campaign.
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