What Arsenal Fans Are Saying About Gabriel Jesus After Shakhtar Game

Gabriel Jesus returned to Arsenal’s starting XI in the Gunners’ Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates on Tuesday evening, and produced a largely uninspiring display that has sparked critical discourse online.

The Brazilian was left on the bench for Mikel Arteta’s side’s trip to Bournemouth on the weekend and has started just one Premier League game this campaign. Thus, the match against Shakhtar represented an opportunity for the forward to stake a claim to start ahead of Sunday’s encounter with Liverpool.

However, deployed in an unusual position on the right wing in Bukayo Saka’s absence, Jesus struggled to make an impact. Arsenal eased to a 1-0 victory over the Ukrainian outfit, courtesy of an own goal from Dmytro Riznyk, but looked disjointed in attack, with Jesus’ involvement contributing to this lack of cohesion.

Regardless, the result puts Arsenal fourth in the Champions League table, having accumulated seven points from their opening three games in the continental competition.

Gabriel Jesus vs Shakhtar

He flattered to deceive

Scoring just one goal this calendar year, the pressure is on Jesus to find the back of the net for the north Londoners, and it appears this pressure is getting to him. While he was certainly heavily involved against Shakhtar before being hooked for Raheem Sterling in the 68th minute, managing 65 touches, he was profligate in the final third.

Played in by Kai Havertz on the stroke of half-time, the former Manchester City man spurned a golden opportunity, placing a tame effort at the feet of Riznyk. This missed chance encapsulated his performance – some good movement off the ball, but lacking the cutting edge with his final action to put the Eastern European opposition to the sword.

With Arteta ultimately opting to keep the likes of Leandro Trossard, Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli on over Jesus, it certainly isn’t a good indicator of the Brazil international’s standing in the squad. It would seem as though Arsenal fans feel a similar way to their Spanish manager, as they were quick to criticise Jesus for his showing.

What Arsenal Fans Are Saying About Gabriel Jesus

They weren’t impressed

In spite of Arsenal’s upward trajectory continuing in the last year, Jesus’ personal progression hasn’t followed suit. He’s been in and out of the team consistently, struggling perennially with injuries, and failing to find form when he has been granted minutes. Captaining Arteta’s side tonight, he certainly didn’t receive a skipper’s reception for his performance online.

Many Arsenal fans took to social media to lament the striker’s exploits on the pitch. One fan on X (Twitter) felt Jesus was ignoring obvious passes to Havertz as he looked for more difficult balls or to take a man on when he shouldn’t have, posting:

Another Arsenal supporter jumped on the idea that the player wasn’t finding the correct passes, pointing out his inability to find Ben White outside of him, by posting: “Gabriel Jesus never sees the overlap.”

Meanwhile, another supporter commented on Jesus’ goal-scoring record in 2024, writing: “Gabriel Jesus having the same number of goals in 2024 as Calafiori is nasty work. This guy is a top 3 earner at the club.”

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The criticism got a little more doom and gloom for some, however. Speaking in a more holistic manner, several supporters began to write the 27-year-old off entirely, not just alluding to antics at the Emirates against Shakhtar.

One fan claimed that Arsenal “should’ve kept Eddie Nketiah instead of Gabriel Jesus”, while another stated: “there is no hope for Gabriel Jesus, I’m sorry but that’s the harsh truth.” Perhaps most potently, one supporter posted:

Whether or not Jesus can regain his form at Arsenal remains to be seen. With the likes of Trossard, Havertz and Martinelli overburdened in Saka’s absence, Arteta needs one of him or Sterling to step up their game to ensure the attacking cohort doesn’t burn out in this congested period of the season.

Fan sentiment certainly isn’t on his side at the moment, and it may take some time for this to be repaired. However, with a game of the magnitude of Liverpool at home to come this Sunday, the under-fire forward has an opportunity to make a significant impact that could reignite his spark and the fans’ belief in him.

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All Statistics via SofaScore – correct as of 22/10/2024