Former midfielder Adrian Clarke was wowed by something that one Arsenal player did against Wolves in Saturday evening’s 2-0 win.
Arsenal were made to grind out their victory at Molineux Stadium.
Whilst Wolves didn’t offer a great deal of attacking threat of their own, the hosts did frustrate the Gunners with a dogged defensive display. Whilst Mikel Arteta’s side dominated possession and territory, they were not able to make the breakthrough until the stroke of half-time.
Kai Havertz looped a ball into the penalty area, which Gabriel Jesus did brilliantly to bring under his spell, before going to ground under pressure from an attendant Wolves defender. However, the Brazilian striker was able to regain his feet and retain possession of the ball, and then showed great awareness to lay it off to the onrushing Leandro Trossard.
The Belgian took on the shot first time, and executed an unusual toe-poked effort which arced beyond Jose Sa and into the top corner of the net. Whilst Trossard deserves plenty of credit for the finish, this all-important breakthrough goal was only made possible by Jesus’ determined effort to keep the move alive.
Gabriel Jesus hailed for magic moment in Arsenal win v Wolves
Former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke has now heaped praise on the former Manchester City forward for his role in the goal. Speaking on the Handbrake Off podcast, he said, “a mention for Jesus, that assist was great, I loved the little bump off Doherty when he got control on the ball. He catered the centre-forward role going here there and everywhere like he normally does, and that really suited Odegaard and Havertz.”
Jesus has frustrated Arsenal fans at times in recent weeks. The 27-year-old has endured a torrid campaign in front of goal. So far this season, the 64-cap Brazil international has only managed four Premier League strikes across his 23 outings in the competition.
The pros and cons of Gabriel Jesus
However, despite his profligacy, there are qualities that Jesus brings to this team which help Arteta’s side. The £265,000-a-week star can always be relied upon to press hard and do his defensive duties, he also floats around the pitch, seeking out space, which creates opening for his teammates and allows him to involve himself in the build-up play.
As indicated by Clarke, Havertz and Martin Odegaard both benefitted from Jesus’ presence on the pitch against Wolves, as the striker’s movement and ability to contribute to their technical approach play gave the midfield duo an extra option to work with when trying to unlock the Midlands outfit’s massed defensive ranks.
However, there are still legitimate concerns about how far Arsenal can go with Jesus spearheading the attack. Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers, and bringing in a reliable goalscorer in the upcoming summer transfer window is a must.