Arsenal were back in action in the Champions League last night, as Mikel Arteta saw his side get back to winning ways in Europe by defeating Sevilla 2-1 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
After losing against RC Lens in the second fixture of Group B, it was integral that the Gunners registered a win against the Spanish outfit, which was achieved and saw the north Londoners take back control of the group.
It wasn’t the easiest fixture for Arsenal to squeeze a result from, highlighted by their mere 44% of possession over the 90 minutes played in Seville, however it took two moments of Brazilian excellence to get the win.
Gabriel Jesus was crowned Man of the Match for his display in Spain, in which he scored and assisted in emphatic style to showcase his individual brilliance during a high-intensity affair.
Three key passes, two big chances created, a goal, an assist and a 92% pass completion rate capped off a mesmerising display for Jesus, via Sofascore, however, his performance was overshadowed by his premature exit.
Nine minutes from full-time, the 26-year-old pulled up clutching his hamstring and was forced to withdraw early, which spiked some concern for Arsenal over the potential severity of his injury.
What is Gabriel Jesus’ injury?
After the game, Arteta faced the media and was asked to comment on his striker’s injury, to which the Spaniard admitted his worry.
The Arsenal boss said that he was “really sad” to see his number nine exit the game, explaining that he “felt something in his hamstring” which put a slight damper on the evening.
Arteta took the time to wax lyrical over the Brazilian, exclaiming that his forward had “changed our world”, following his arrival from Manchester City last summer.
Jesus has benefitted Arsenal in ways far beyond scoring goals, adding a tireless presence to the front line and an innate energy, making his trouble with keeping fit even more agonising.
What is Gabriel Jesus’ injury history?
In his almost 16 months in north London, Jesus has changed the trajectory of Arsenal’s belief going forward, but has also hugely had his, and the club’s, progression halted due to injury.
As per Transfermarkt, Jesus has missed over 120 days due to injury, with both instances stemming from his knee injury sustained whilst representing Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.
The forward required surgery to fix such an issue, and when the problem recurred prior to the start of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, he underwent further procedures to restore his fitness.
While the majority of Jesus’ injury history is made up of knee-related woes, he has faced time on the sidelines previously in his career due to hamstring concerns.
During his time at the Etihad, the Brazilian was absent for a recorded total of 38 days due to hamstring problems, suggesting that it could be a weak spot for the striker, who was forced off against Sevilla for that reason.
Despite Arteta’s initial concerns, Arsenal’s number nine downplayed the extent of his injury to the media, saying that it didn’t “look that big” following physio tests in Seville.
What games could Gabriel Jesus miss?
In September, Gabriel Martinelli was absent for four games due to a hamstring injury that he sustained against Everton, which at first was not deemed to be too severe.
Speaking on the wingers’ injury, Doctor Rajpal Brar explained on Twitter X that hamstring injuries can take around two weeks to recover depending on the location of the blow.
If Jesus faced the same recovery span, the Brazilian would be absent from around four games for Arsenal, where the Gunners play Sheffield United and Newcastle United in the Premier League, and West Ham United and Sevilla in the respective cup competitions.
Date
Opponent
H/A
Competition
28/10/23
Sheffield United
H
Premier League
01/11/23
West Ham United
A
Carabao Cup
04/11/23
Newcastle United
A
Premier League
08/11/23
Sevilla
H
Champions League
It would be a big miss for Arteta to have to revise his options going forward in such critical fixtures, yet after missing Jesus for the start of the season, it’s not a scenario that is alien to the Spaniard.
Who could replace Gabriel Jesus?
In terms of established forwards, Arteta has three potential candidates that could replace Jesus in leading the line, with Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard the most identifiable trio.
Each forward brings different qualities, with neither of them showcasing a skill set as complete as the Brazilian, as portrayed in the table below that documents their per 90 averages over the past year.
Gabriel Jesus
Eddie Nketiah
Leandro Trossard
Kai Havertz
Non-penalty xG
0.54
0.53
0.22
0.34
Non-penalty goals
0.44
0.31
0.26
0.15
Progressive carries
2.09
2.17
2.92
2.05
Successful take-ons
2.04
0.98
1.15
0.61
Shot creating actions
3.31
2.48
3.49
2.54
Total shots
3.36
3.15
1.67
2.54
Tackles
1.75
0.83
0.83
1.28
Figures via FBref
That being said, when it comes to evidence with reference to actually playing in Arteta’s side, only one player stands out as being the most efficient, with Trossard being the better fit out of Nketiah and Havertz.
Once lauded as “outstanding” by Tim Sherwood, the Belgian was praised by the former Tottenham manager as being someone that “just affects football matches”, touching on his ability to both score and assist.
Usually deployed as a winger, Trossard has shown a streak of potency when called upon at Arsenal, reinforced by his five goals and 11 assists from only 15 starts since his arrival in January.
Havertz is best deployed in midfield, and is low on confidence after his shaky start to life in north London, leaving Nketiah as the main competition for the former Brighton ace to battle for a starting spot up front.
Why isn’t Leandro Trossard starting?
While Trossard’s quality is unquestionable, Arsenal’s wingers are untouchable, with Bukayo Saka and Martinelli’s status in the favoured XI consistently confirmed by their star performances week in and week out.
The 28-year-old’s claim to starting games for Arteta’s side is more likely to come in a more central role, with an opportunity there for him to replace Jesus if his injury is severe.
With Sheffield United up next in the Premier League, the manager may have the perfect opportunity to give Trossard a starting spot over Nketiah, whose potency as a number nine is questionable.
The Blades are a team bruised by their start to the 2023/24 campaign, recording only a single point from their opening nine games and having conceded a mammoth 24 goals, the most so far in the league.
Trossard’s ability to finish his chances gives him the slight upper hand on Nketiah, who has a conversion rate of just 10% from his opening nine league appearances this term.
The Englishman averages 2.2 shots per game, recording an average of just 0.4 on target, telling the tale of his lack of a clinical streak in the final third.
As for Trossard, the Belgian has a remarkable 100% goal conversion rate in the Premier League this season, having scored the same number of goals as Nketiah with two, despite playing four games fewer.
Arteta’s £27m forward could be the perfect figure to replace Jesus in the instance of an absence, with his experience and prolific nature in front of goal being far more dangerous than that of Nketiah.
