January 6th 2025.
Former England striker Gary Lineker has shared his thoughts on Arsenal's striker Gabriel Jesus, suggesting that he could benefit from some specialized coaching at the club. Jesus, who had been enduring a goal drought, has recently improved his scoring record with six goals in his last five games.
However, Lineker pointed out that Jesus had gone through a difficult period last season, failing to score in the second half and going 11 games without a goal at the start of this season. But his confidence received a boost when he scored five goals in four days against Crystal Palace, and he also found the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Brentford last week.
Since joining Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 for a staggering £45 million, Jesus has scored 26 goals in 94 appearances. Lineker praised the 27-year-old's hard-working attitude, but suggested that he needs some guidance to improve his positioning on the pitch.
During an assessment of Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said, "Gabriel Jesus is honest and he runs and runs. He has a one-in-three goalscoring record, which is similar to what he had at Manchester City. But I think he's almost too eager to get involved in the game, running everywhere and dropping deep to get the ball."
Lineker believes that with some specific coaching, Jesus can be instructed to stay in the central forward position and not drop back too often, as Arsenal need him to be in the box to score goals.
Despite dropping points against Brighton, Arsenal had won three games in a row over Christmas and were emerging as Liverpool's biggest rival for the Premier League title. However, their hopes took a hit with the draw, leaving them six points behind the league leaders, who also drew with Manchester United on Sunday.
Lineker remains optimistic about Arsenal's title chances, saying, "They're still in it, Arsenal. Liverpool dropped points, so they've still got a chance."
In the game against Brighton, Arsenal were left frustrated and disappointed after a 1-1 draw. They took the lead through Ethan Nwaneri's goal in the 16th minute, but Brighton equalized with a controversial penalty from Joao Pedro in the second half.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori expressed his disappointment, saying, "You can see from my expression that I am frustrated and disappointed. We could have done better, for sure. The good thing is that we have another game in two or three days, and we are already thinking about that."
He added that the first 25 minutes of the game were how Arsenal should play, but they were unable to maintain their dominance. Looking ahead, he said, "From tomorrow, we will forget about this game and think about the next one. The season is so long."
Next up for Arsenal is an FA Cup third-round clash against Manchester United, who produced an improved performance to hold Liverpool in their last game.
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