Jesus’s finishing is not a problem until it becomes one – Our View

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Gabriel Jesus has been a huge asset for Arsenal, but he may have a costly problem lurking to upset the Gunners’ title hopes.

First things first, it is vital to emphasise that Gabriel Jesus’ importance to this Arsenal cannot be understated since his arrival.

The Brazilian international’s all-round game can rival any striker’s in the Premier League currently, as he has arguably been the league leaders’ standout player so far.

In addition, it would be slightly reductive to assess the former Manchester City forward’s game from the mere perspective of being a goalscorer, which is often a criticism levelled at him.

However, there is no running away from the fact that Jesus’ wastefulness in front of goal could potentially cost the Gunners in the title race.

Up against arguably the best side in Premier League history in a marathon to become the champions of England, the margin for error is as minimal as it can get between finishing as top dogs and staring at months of hard work going down the drain. Liverpool can most certainly attest to said sentiment.

Ahead of his side’s 1-0 win against FC Zurich in the Europa League, Mikel Arteta defended the four-time Premier League winner’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal by saying, “If he makes 3 assists in a game, I don’t think he has to make many adjustments.”

Referencing Gabriel Jesus’ stunning display from a creative sense in Arsenal’s 5-0 annihilation of Nottingham Forest, the hole that can be spotted in the 40-year old’s rationale is that there will be days where his star striker is far from perfect.

On days where Arsenal are not at their breath-taking best, the 25-year-old’s consistent failure to convert chances at will could put the North Londoners in the same position.

During cagey affairs in which chances become a rarity in themselves, all eyes will be on the ex-Palmeiras frontman to be clinical when he has the chance to hand his side a lead.

Add the context of a tightly-fought title race to the conversation and suddenly, one wonders whether Jesus will be able to do the business in front of goal.

After all, not every game is a 5-0 rout against Forest or a 1-0 win against Chelsea, where the decorated marksman’s underwhelming finishing is not as much of a headline because his teammates put the ball in the back of the net.

The fact that said thought remains a question mark does not reflect ideally on the £45 million man (The Mirror), and this very doubt has the power to make-or-break the side’s chances of becoming Premier League champions.

Consider the example of when Arteta’s men were held to a 1-1 draw against a lowly-Southampton side for a second. While the visitors created a bundle of gilt-edged opportunities at St. Mary’s, Jesus’ inconsistency in terms of putting the ball in the back of the net cost his side two points.

Arsenal’s gap at the top of the table reduced to two points instead of four, with City lurking in the shadows to claim top spot.

And quite often, the argument one presents is that the versatile forward could always develop elite ball-striking to completely fulfil his potential as one of the most feared strikers in the game.

However, that is easier said than done, as becoming an elite finisher is not necessarily a teachable trait, as it would simply be coached into a number of failed frontmen if that was the case.

In the present and in the future, Gabriel Jesus’ inability to prove himself as a world-class finisher could be a bigger cause for concern than Arsenal think, despite him emphatically ticking several other boxes in his game.