Arsenal will enter the Super Cup match against Man City and the first games of the new season without the main striker Gabriel Jesus. It sounds serious but in reality, the Gunners are used to this and rest assured that Mikel Arteta has a solution.
Jesus was absent for Arsenal’s latest match against Monaco and was later confirmed to be out for several weeks to recover from a recurring knee injury. When announcing this news, Arteta was very calm. Of course, in his position, Arteta must be the most brave in all circumstances. But at the same time, the Spaniard was also used to having to play without full staff for a long time.
In the 2021/22 season, injuries to Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney made Arsenal lose in the race to qualify for the Champions League. Last season, many Arsenal fans regretted that the absence of William Saliba in the center of defense was the main reason why the Gunners were short of breath before Man City in the title race. Also, don’t forget that Jesus also missed four months last season with a knee injury. However, Arteta excelled in the no-Jesus problem when Arsenal won 10/14 matches before Jesus returned in April. That experience, plus the fact that Jesus’ injury was not too serious this time, helped Arteta and the fans. Arsenal can rest assured with the situation ahead.
Obviously, Eddie Nketiah is the first choice that pops up when thinking about Jesus’ replacement. In the recent match against Monaco, Nketiah owned Arsenal and also scored. Back at the beginning of this year, Nketiah also started a very impressive substitute for Jesus when he scored 6 goals in the first 6 games for Arsenal after the 2022 World Cup. However, some time later Nketiah had a problem and experienced through a drought of goals lasting 14 matches.
Despite that, Nketiah was still very confident. “I don’t think I’m here to fill anyone’s place,” Nketiah said. “I’m here to play and help the team. Of course, I believe in my abilities and know what I can do. The manager will always have a headache when choosing an attack. Every time he chooses me , he knows I can help the team.”
But Arteta is not the only one who is the center option right now. Leandro Trossard, on the advice of his ex-Arsene Wenger, is the perfect striker to lead Arsenal’s attack. The Belgian striker likes to operate on the left corridor but still plays effectively when moving into the middle. Excellent personal technique, besides his ability to sniff out opportunities, turns Trossard into Arteta’s archetypal “virtual 9”.
Besides, Arteta also has Folarin Balogun, Gabriel Martinelli and rookie Kai Havertz to choose from. Each of these players will be suitable for each game, each with different intentions. Instead of pessimism, Arteta is more than optimistic to see Jesus’ short-term absence as an opportunity for him to test the squad.
“Of course,” Nketiah said of the competition for the striker position. “That’s what we expect. We train hard every day to get the chance to play at the weekend. So it’s not just me but there are many other players who can play in the striker position. We are all players. are good players, always ready and taking on a different role.”