Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has become "a real problem" for Mikel Arteta after his latest ineffective cameo against Fulham, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts.
The Brazil international has been the Gunners' second-choice striker behind Kai Havertz since the early part of last season and is therefore often restricted to substitute appearances in the Premier League, making just two top-flight starts this term.
Jesus's last Premier League goal came all the way back in January against Nottingham Forest, since when has gone 22 top-flight matches without finding the back of the net, and his only strike in 18 appearances this season came against Preston North End in the EFL Cup.
"I think Gabriel Jesus is a real problem for Arsenal at the moment," Watts told Sports Mole. "He hasn't scored in 22 Premier League games. It's over half a season. And if one of your only two strikers is not scoring and it is not even looking like scoring when he comes on, like he did at Fulham, which was a really poor cameo from him, it's a big issue.
"You've basically got to play Kai Havertz every single week. And Havertz is looking tired, I think now, which is no surprising, not surprising because he's playing so much. I think Jesus's lack of form is a real issue for Arsenal. It's just not good enough. And I don't know how long that can continue to go on for without them seriously deciding we have to change things now."
Arsenal decided against pursuing a new centre-forward in the summer transfer window after rumoured top target Benjamin Sesko signed a new contract with RB Leipzig, and it was accepted that a new number nine was not at the top of their priority list after Arteta's men scored a club-record 91 Premier League goals last season.
However, with Jesus on an 11-month Premier League goal drought and Havertz only scoring once in his last seven appearances, the fire has been relit ahead of the January transfer window, where Arsenal are said to be planning a shock approach for Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Will Arsenal sign a striker in January amid Jesus struggles?
Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres and Lille's Jonathan David have also been heavily linked, but Watts cannot see Arsenal signing a striker for the sake of it, adding: "I think they'll only move if the right player becomes available. They're not going to sign someone and then block the pathway of someone else they maybe wanted to bring in six months' time. We've seen with Arsenal, they won't panic in the transfer window.
"I can't rule out a January move. But certainly the messages we've got in the build-up to January is that the focus still remains very much on the summer. They will be active if something comes up that they decide, 'you know what, we can do this now, we will do this now.' I keep going back to this sort of phrase 'reactive rather than proactive.' That's going to be Arsenal's January.
"Who can they get out in January? I suppose Gyokeres has got his release clause, which means there's always a possibility someone could make that move and just get it done. Even if Sporting weren't willing to sell, they haven't really got a choice if the release clause gets activated. Gyokeres would then have a decision to make.
"So there are options there if they really want to do something in January. Ultimately, I don't think they would really want to. I think they'd much rather their squad start scoring goals themselves and find some form. And that's why Gabriel Jesus is just such an issue. Because Arsenal would so much prefer to wait until the summer and get who they really could potentially want to get."
Jesus's form when he arrived at Arsenal was outstanding, as the former Manchester City man made an immediate impact in the starting XI and ended the 2022-23 Premier League season with 17 goal contributions from 26 games, 11 of his own and six assists.
However, the consensus is that the striker has not been the same player since the knee injury he suffered at the 2022 World Cup, which sidelined him for three months, and he has since suffered a couple of other knee-related complications to further hamper his hopes of reigniting his Gunners career.
Jesus "worlds apart" from "electric" impact upon Arsenal arrival
© Imago
Arsenal seemingly still think that Jesus can rediscover his old form, having reportedly blocked an approach from former club Palmeiras, but he showed a complete lack of predatory instincts at one particular point in the draw with Fulham.
The 27-year-old was destined to meet Declan Rice's ball over the top of the defence, but he hesitated and allowed Bernd Leno to gather without any trouble, and Jesus is now a player with no "confidence" or "conviction" whatsoever according to Watts.
"If Jesus could get himself eight goals between January and May, that'd be great," Watts said. "But the way he looked when he came on at Craven Cottage, you just can't see where the next goal is coming from for him. The chance when Declan Rice lofted that ball over the back line and he didn't even swing his foot at it, it was just a player with absolutely no confidence and no conviction in what he's doing.
"It's a real shame because when he first signed for Arsenal, he was electric. Honestly one of the biggest impacts I've ever seen from a new signing with Jesus in those few months before the World Cup and before he got the injury when he was playing with Brazil. And it's such a shame when you compare the player that Arsenal saw then to the player they've got now. It's just worlds apart.
"He scored against Preston in the Cup a few weeks ago and everyone thought that's what he needed. That's going to really, really help him. But it doesn't seem like it has. I haven't really seen that transfer to the Premier League at all. It still looks like the same Gabriel Jesus before that goal against Preston. It didn't give him the confidence boost we were all hoping it was going to give him."
Jesus still has three years left to run on his contract with Arsenal, who host Monaco in Wednesday's Champions League encounter before welcoming Everton to the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
