Arsenal thought they were back in the groove. The Gunners had dispatched the likes of West Ham, Sporting and Manchester United since the last international break of the year but fell short when they travelled to Fulham.
We know the Premier League isn’t easy. The way Mikel Arteta’s men have relentlessly attempted to chase down Manchester City is a testament to that.
Well, they are ahead of City this time around but the trouble is, Arsenal still only sit in third place.
Chelsea leapfrogged them courtesy of a remarkable 4-2 win over Spurs and even though Liverpool didn’t play due to adverse weather conditions, the gap between them and Arteta’s side is still six points.
So, where’s it all gone wrong so far this season? Well, three red cards certainly haven’t helped. Neither did skipper Martin Odegaard’s 12-game absence due to an ankle injury.
The bottom line, however, is that Arsenal simply haven’t been good enough for long periods of time. A lot of that can be owed to an underperforming attack.
Arsenal's underperforming attackers
Let’s get this out of the way first. When at their best, Arteta’s forward line is one of the very best in Europe. Bukayo Saka – the division’s top assister – has proven he is now one of the finest wingers on the continent and coupled with Odegaard, Arsenal have created perhaps their most dynamic duo since the days of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.
Alas, it is the players on the opposite flank who have often let the club down in crucial moments this season.
Leandro Trossard may have found a degree of form in recent weeks, scoring against Sporting and West Ham nine days ago. Yet, there was that foolish red card at the Etihad and it was his misplaced pass that ultimately led to William Saliba’s sending off against Bournemouth.
The Belgian may have finished as the club’s second-top scorer last term on 17 goals but he simply hasn’t been at the races this term, registering just four goals in 20 games.
Gabriel Martinelli has not fared much better and his piece of play deep in the game at Craven Cottage as Arsenal drew 1-1 typified his season.
The Brazilian did incredibly well to cut inside and curl a tantalising ball to the back post where Saka headed home. It looked like Arsenal had a late winner. But wait…what’s this? It’s the dreaded VAR.
It was a “criminal” mistake in the words of Paul Merson, as Martinelli strayed offside and ruined Arsenal’s chances of narrowing the gap at the top to four points.
That being said, some of the blame should lie at the feet of another Brazilian; Gabriel Jesus.
Why it's time for Gabriel Jesus to go
Over the summer, the club finally decided to part ways with Eddie Nketiah. He had become the third choice option behind Jesus and surprisingly, Kai Havertz.
It was predominantly the German’s form as a centre-forward that provoked that sale and since then he scored four goals in his first seven league matches of 2024/25.
While the goals haven’t been quite as forthcoming in the Premier League since, he still brings a great deal to the attack with his pressing and hold up play.
Unfortunately, like Nketiah, Jesus does not offer much at all. He has scored just one league goal in 2024 to date and ruined his chance to rescue things for Arteta on Sunday afternoon.
Truth be told, it was a rough old day for Havertz who didn’t have a single shot on target in the clash. Change was needed and the more dynamic and tricky Jesus was a wise option to call upon.
His cameo was rather dire, though. The former Man City striker registered a truly awful pass success rate of 17% after he left the field and also messed up a goalscoring opportunity in bizarre fashion.
Minutes played
17
Touches
8
Accurate passes
1/6 (17%)
Shots
0
Dribbles
0
Key passes
0
Crosses
0
Duels won
1/1
Possession lost
5x
Tackles
1
The ball was lifted over the Fulham defence by Declan Rice and the 27-year-old had an ideal opportunity to tuck the ball away when one-on-one with Bernd Leno. Except Jesus didn’t actually make contact with the ball. He paused, seemingly unsure as to whether the ball would come to him and rather than being gifted with a simple chance it fell straight into Leno’s arms.
That lack of confidence, that lack of conviction typified his sorry calendar year. Perhaps rather harshly, Arsenal reporter Connor Humm noted that the £45m signing “doesn’t look like he could score in League 2.” It does feel like that at times, it must be said.
Gabriel Jesus (centre) could have won the game for Arsenal
Truth be told, Jesus’ decline has been particularly sad. Yes, the Brazil international has struggled with injuries over the last 18 months or so but let us remember the immediate impact he made at the Emirates.
After signing from title rivals City in the summer of 2022, he scored five goals in his first eight league outings. That form has never been replicated since.
Unfortunately, it feels as though this could be the beginning of the end of Jesus’ time in an Arsenal shirt. They will undoubtedly recruit a new forward in 2025 and as a result, someone will have to be shipped on. He is now a prime candidate.
5/10 Arsenal star just had his worst game all season
Arsenal were held by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
ByMatt DawsonDec 8, 2024