Arsenal legend Paul Merson has shared a damning verdict on Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, claiming the strikers are hindering Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title hopes.
The Gunners are already four points adrift of the reigning champions Manchester City in the title race after six games. That is a similar gap to what Arsenal finished the 2022/23 season with. Just five points separated the two teams at the top of the table at the end of last term.
Signing Jesus from Manchester City for £45m in July 2022 catapulted Arsenal from failing to qualify for the Champions League to being surprise Premier League title contenders. But the 26-year-old would not claim his fifth winners’ medal as Arteta’s bid for silverware collapsed.
Arsenal’s hopes of finally lifting their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season fell apart towards the end. Despite spending 248 days atop the table, Arteta’s players would not hold on. The Emirates Stadium club only won three of their last nine games to fall just short.
Moves to acquire Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya this summer were supposed to help Arteta close the gap between Arsenal and Manchester City. Yet the margin has seemingly enlarged as Pep Guardiola’s side make an early claim to a fourth-straight title.
Jesus and Nketiah struggled to shine as Arsenal drew with Tottenham
Jesus had a transformative effect upon joining Arsenal as the Brazilian’s dogged style helped Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli thrive. But a knee injury sustained at the World Cup kept him out of action for three months. Yet he finished the term with 11 goals and seven assists.
Another operation on the same knee this summer saw Jesus miss Arsenal’s first two fixtures before featuring as a substitute. Arteta limited the Brazilian’s minutes before he made a first start against Tottenham Hotspur. Although he opened the action on the wing due to injuries.
Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are now sidelined with hamstring injuries. So, Arteta started Jesus out wide with Nketiah through the middle in the north London derby. Nketiah stood in for Jesus at centre-forward whilst he was injured and scored twice, but did not always shine.
Nketiah produced another poor performance at home to Tottenham, too, and blew his best chance to score as Arsenal drew. Destiny Udogie’s careless backpass let the England striker in but Guglielmo Vicario batted the strike away. Nketiah could have cut the ball back instead.
Merson has now issued a damning verdict on Jesus and Nketiah
A role on the wing also limited Jesus’ impact yet he offered a lot through his pressing whilst on the field. But the Brazilian’s biggest blunder came whilst the score was level at 0-0. Jesus stole possession from James Maddison in the area but blazed his attempt over the crossbar.
The 26-year-old only needed to stay composed – like Jesus did to score against Manchester United – to beat Vicario. Now, Merson questions if Nketiah or Jesus offer Arsenal enough to make Arteta’s side candidates for the 2023/24 Premier League title against Manchester City.
“I’ve always said it from day one: Eddie Nketiah is not going to win you the Premier League,” Merson exclaimed in his column for Sky Sports. “You need a proper centre-forward.
“I’m not blaming Nketiah because they drew 2-2 with Tottenham. But with 32 games to go and all the Champions League games they have to play, I don’t think he takes them to the next level. I don’t even think Gabriel Jesus takes them to the next level.”
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