Gabriel Jesus recorded his fourth goal of the season on Sunday as Arsenal beat Brentford 3-0 to return to the top of the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta was in desperate need of a new striker this summer to replace the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, and moving quickly to sign Jesus in July could prove to be one of the best pieces of business in the club’s history.
Four goals and three assists from seven starts has helped the Gunners win six matches this season, with Jesus already proving just how important he is to Arteta in the early weeks of the new campaign following his £45million transfer from Manchester City.
Arsenal didn’t just need to sign a new striker this summer, but they needed to sign one who is a guaranteed goalscorer and can provide on a consistent basis if they were to return to the top four and potentially offer an outside chance of a title push this season.
Despite spending the majority of his City career as second choice behind Sergio Aguero, Jesus still managed to register 95 goals and 46 assists in 236 games across all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions - and that was without being a consistent starter.
But having already worked with him during his time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium, Arteta knew what the Brazilian forward was capable of if he was offered the chance of regular first team action as the club’s first choice striker.
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In the Premier League last season, Aubameyang had four goals after 14 games, while it took Lacazette 30 games to register the same number. This season, it has taken Jesus just seven games to equal those tallies, while he can also add three assists to that impressive record.
However, three goals and two assists have already earned Arsenal five points this season. In August, a brace and two assists helped the Gunners beat Leicester City 4-2, while he grabbed the opening goal in the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa. Without them, Arsenal would be fourth and three points behind Man City and Tottenham.
If Arsenal are already relying on Jesus to ensure they are at the top of the table after just seven games of the new campaign, it can only be imagined how much more of an impact he will have over the next 31 fixtures. The Brazilian’s combination of movement, positioning and finishing is already making the world of difference to Arteta’s side.
And being in the right place at the right time has been the biggest factor in Jesus’ success so far this campaign and, following his goal against Brentford, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink highlighted the importance of this. He told Sky Sports : ‘He’s in the box making the difference and that’s what people will remember him for [at] the end of the season.’
One concern for Arsenal, however, is an impending suspension for Jesus, following his fourth booking of the season already against Brentford. Should he pick up another in the north London derby on October 1, he will miss the huge clash with Liverpool a week later.
Jesus has added a completely different dimension to Arsenal this season and to lose him to suspension for any game would be a huge blow for Arteta, let alone for one against Liverpool, and so he must be on his best behaviour against Spurs. However, should he avoid a booking in the next four fixtures, a trip to Chelsea on November 6 will also soon be on the horizon.
