Shaun Wright-Phillips says Gabriel Jesus has never played in his correct position during his time at Arsenal.
The former Premier League title winner says Gabriel Jesus isn’t a ‘clinical’ striker because he is a player who should be playing ‘wide right’.
Ever since Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal paid Manchester City £45 million for the versatile forward (BBC Sport), he has been used as the number nine.
But Wright-Phillips pointed out that, when Gabriel Jesus was at Manchester City, he only started playing up front because of injuries, as he told Premier League Productions (25/09/23 at 2:20 pm).
Whilst no-one disagrees that the 26-year-old is an outstanding forward, the one question that has always been on his head is his goalscoring ability and matching it with other great goalscorers.
Wright-Phillips doesn’t think the man leading Arsenal’s line has the ruthless nature to be top, top quality.
Gabriel Jesus as a striker
“I still don’t see Jesus as a number nine,” said Wright-Phillips. “I think when Man City signed him. He wasn’t a striker, at that point. He was playing in that position because they had an injury, effectively, he has always been a winger. He has always played wide right.
“Those chances that he has been missing are of an attitude of say a me, as a winger’s way of thinking – but that mentality. It’s not a clinical mentality. It’s not a you (Ian Wright) sort of thing.
“That is your bread and butter. I don’t think those little chances are Jesus’s bread and butter.
“If you look at it, Manchester City played him through the middle and then they used to say ‘There Man City go again, playing a false nine’. Why is it different that he is at Arsenal?”
Arsenal strikers under fire
After Mikel Arteta’s side dropped points at home to Tottenham in the north London derby, the club’s strikers have come under fire.
Many are questioning if they have that killer instinct to lead the team to the title, with Paul Merson claiming that Jesus and Eddie Nketiah will cost them.
There has been a lot of noise around Ivan Toney, so that is one to watch out for when he returns from his ban in January.
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