Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory over Wolves at the Emirates today, in a game which saw them move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Early goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard meant Arsenal looked set for another big victory after beating RC Lens 6-0 in midweek, but they took their foot off the gas and faced a nervy ending after Wolves pulled a goal back near the end.
Whilst there were a number of standout performers including the goalscorers, the performance of Gabriel Jesus may end up going under the radar.
Gabriel Jesus’ masterclass against Wolves
The Brazil striker was sensational throughout the game, and should have perhaps added to the scoresheet as he had two good chances to kill Wolves’ hopes.
Statistically, his performance looked fairly average against Wolves, registering just one shot on target and technically only creating one chance. However, the reality was vastly different.
Jesus played a crucial part in both Arsenal goals, with a deft bit of hold-up play and a flick to Takehiro Tomiyasu helping set up Saka’s opener, before an outstanding pass to Oleksandr Zinchenko helped create the chance for Odegaard to finish off.
The 26-year-old was withdrawn for Eddie Nketiah in the 67th minute, and Arsenal saw their dominance upfront fade somewhat after Jesus came off.
Gabriel Jesus’ importance to Arsenal
The Wolves game showed both Jesus’ biggest strengths and key weaknesses. He missed two chances with a combined xG of 0.61, after blazing over from a fairly difficult cross before firing straight at the goalkeeper when presented with another shooting chance.
However, his technical ability and vision are arguably unmatched by most centre-forwards in the world. His excellent performance today helped get the best out of the rest of the team in attacking situations, and both goals do not happen without him.
Jesus has been criticised for a lack of goals, with Arsenal told by many pundits to sign a striker in the January transfer window, but his importance to the team goes way beyond his finishing ability, and when he is fit and firing, Arsenal’s attack thrives as a whole.
The £265k-a-week striker has scored five and assisted two goals in 14 appearances this season, in what has been an injury-hit campaign, but these stats do not tell the full story as he has often been outstanding when starting in the Premier League and Champions League.
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