Former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke has now named one player who he expects to take on a different role for the remainder of this season.
Adrian Clarke now believes that Gabriel Jesus will be handed more game time on the left wing.
Arsenal could be without Gabriel Martinelli when they face Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Brazilian winger limped off early against Sheffield United last time out, with Mikel Arteta sending Jesus on in his place, marking the forward’s hotly-anticipated return from injury.
After that match, Arteta confirmed that Martinelli had suffered a gash on his foot.
Meanwhile, while Jesus has been sidelined, Kai Havertz has impressed whilst spearheading the attack in his place. The German has scored in his last three Premier League outings, and seems to bring the best out of those around him with his physicality and link-up play. There is a strong argument that the former Chelsea man, for the time being at least, should keep his place up front in the starting XI ahead of Jesus.
Certainly, Jesus has struggled to be prolific when he has played this season. In 18 Premier League appearances he has managed to rack up just four goals. However, Jesus has vowed to address this profligacy.
That does not mean, though, that Jesus is now destined for a place on the bench. If Martinelli is not fit to feature against the Bees, then Clarke believes that the 26-year-old ought to be deployed on the left wing.
Should Gabriel Jesus replace Gabriel Martinelli when Arsenal face Brentford?
Speaking on the Handbrake Off podcast, Clarke said, “if Martinelli is injured, I’m sticking Jesus on the left. Like, it’s nothing against Trossard, who is fantastic, but Jesus in the team makes us better in my opinion, provided he’s fit. But, it’s another little rotation…I’ve got a feeling, even though Martinelli’s been brilliant too, I’ve got a feeling that between now and the end of the season, if everyone stays fit, Jesus will get more game time on the left than he’s had before.”
Jesus has plenty of experience of playing on the flanks, as he often did so in his time at Manchester City. However, he has rarely been deployed out wide since making the switch to the Emirates Stadium. It is a move that would make sense for Arteta to consider, though. Jesus’ pace, flair, and energy levels make him an ideal replacement for Martinelli.
Whilst Leandro Trossard would usually be the natural rotation option in this part of the pitch, and the Belgian has been in impressive form himself in recent weeks, it would be fascinating to see how Jesus would look in the role, and how well he might link up with Havertz.
If Martinelli is fit for the visit of Brentford, it is hard to see him being taken out of the starting XI. Should Arteta need to shake things up though, then Jesus’ return to fitness offers an intriguing new potential solution that could become something that he turns to regularly between now and the end of the season.
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