Arteta now warned Arsenal results could ‘suffer’ again if one star is given starting role

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Journalist Charles Watts is concerned that Gabriel Jesus could have a negative impact on Arsenal once he is over his current injury issue.

Gabriel Jesus is edging towards a return to action for Arsenal.

Jesus is currently working his way back to full fitness, but will not feature for Arsenal in their Champions League round of 16 clash against Porto this evening. For the first leg of this continental tie, then, Mikel Arteta may well stick with Leandro Trossard at the top of the pitch. 

Trossard has been in fine form in recent weeks. Playing in the Brazilian’s absence, he has adopted a false-nine role, and has developed an incredibly effective on-pitch partnership with Kai Havertz. The Belgian has scored in each of his last three matches, against Liverpool, West Ham United, and Burnley. Jesus has now been warned that he may struggle to get back into the starting XI with Trossard in such form.

As far as Charles Watts is concerned, it may well be for the best if the former Manchester City striker doesn’t simply just walk back into the starting line-up as soon as he is fit to do so. Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, the reporter explained the reasoning behind this stance. 

He said, “he is Arsenal’s number 9, he is the main striker, but suddenly now Arsenal have found this new form. They’ve found this formation that is working so, so well with Trossard at the top of it and Havertz behind…It seems mad to suggest that Jesus isn’t going to come back into this team, but there’s a possibility which we saw last season when Jesus did return to fitness and came back into the team, it disrupted things a little bit. They had been playing so well with Trossard in that 9 position again, then Jesus returned to fitness and he came back into the team, and we saw less of Trossard, and Arsenal’s results did suffer.”

Why Leandro Trossard should keep his Arsenal place ahead of Gabriel Jesus

It would certainly be harsh to drop Trossard based on his current form. It is not just the 29-year-old who is playing well either, Arsenal are performing excellently as a team with him on the pitch. The former Brighton and Hove Albion man has started the Gunners’ last two Premier League matches. In the first of those, Arsenal secured a club-record 6-0 win against West Ham United at the London Stadium. Last time out, they put Burnley to the sword too, battering Vincent Kompany’s men 5-0 at Turf Moor. 

Trossard has played a huge role in each of these victories, and his presence is also helping to bring the best out of Havertz. The pair rotate and interchange their positions fluently on the pitch, creating space for one another, and putting their complementary but disparate traits to good use. 

Jesus in undoubtedly an excellent player. However, he is far from prolific. He has always been credited for improving those around him with his off-the-ball work and link-up play. Well, Trossard is now providing those same things, and has added goals in too.