Chris Sutton still wonders if Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ‘will regret selling’ Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal. They are now duelling over the Premier League.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta raided the Etihad Stadium in the summer to improve his squad with the four-time title winners. He paid £45m to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette with Jesus. While Zinchenko cost £32m as his Kieran Tierney upgrade.
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Jesus had an instant and transformative effect on Arsenal after striking a devastating bond with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. His dynamic presence in the centre of their front three caused defenders endless issues before undergoing surgery following his knee injury.
Zinchenko has also shown his importance to Arteta by reinventing Arsenal’s left-back area in an inverted role. But the Ukraine international has also suffered a number of injuries so far this season. He has only managed to start in nine of their 17 Premier League matches.
But Jesus and Zinchenko also brought that winning mentality with them from Manchester City that Arsenal had been lacking. Now, the Gunners lead the Citizens by five points at the top of the Premier League table. They are also the two top-scoring teams so far this term.
Sutton still feels Manchester City may rue Jesus and Zinchenko’s Arsenal transfers
Only Manchester City (45) have outscored Arsenal (40) so far this season thanks very much to Erling Haaland’s 21 goals. Phil Foden has also offered seven, ahead of Julian Alvarez and Kevin De Bruyne with three. Martinelli and Martin Odegaard (7) are Arsenal’s top scorers.
Jesus has found the net five times and laid on a further six assists over his 14 appearances. Only Saka has also laid on six assists for Arsenal in the Premier League so far this term. So, Sutton wonders if Guardiola might regret letting the Brazilian and Zinchenko join Arsenal.
But the former Celtic striker still feels Manchester City can have the edge over Arsenal to win the Premier League title thanks to the strength of Guardiola’s bench – even if he let Jesus and Zinchenko move to north London and help make Arteta’s team title contenders.
“It’s sort of unfair, isn’t it, the Manchester City bench?” Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “And will that be the difference this season? With their squad, do they have the edge over Arsenal?
“I still wonder if Pep will regret selling Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko to Arsenal, though.”
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