By George Collins – 7th November 2025
With Gabriel Jesus back in first team training I look into his stats over the past few seasons for Arsenal. A player that you can’t be sure where his best position is, is it as a 9? Roaming as a 10? Or a threat from a wider position. He’s a player who oozes elegance but if you asked an Arsenal fan, they wouldn’t be too sure he is the striker they need to win major titles.
In January 2025 during a fa cup tie with bitter rival Manchester United a torn ACL was the result of a challenge just outside Arsenals 18-yard box. This has kept Jesus sidelines for nearly a calendar but as of the w/c 4th November its reported Gabirel Jesus is back out training with the team. With Kai Havertz sidelined for the foreseeable and new signing Viktor Gyokeres picking up a recent injury this could be the perfect time for Jesus to reinstate his place in this Arsenal squad.
Key stats
Gabriel Jesus averages 3.3 shots per 90 which is relatively high for a player who isn’t playing as a traditionally out and out striker. This is mainly due to his creative ability and positioning, accumulating 0.69 xG per 90. However, a clear issue is his ability to score goals consistently, with these stats being impressive the fact he only managed to 11 goals in the 22/23 season is concerning. The most concerning area is the fact he had a – 5.17 xG in the 22/23 season and – 3.29 in the 23/24 season. This shows he is constantly underperforming when it comes to output. This might be one of the reasons why Arsenal fans have been crying out for a prolific goalscorer to be signed. It’s all well and good having the creativity but putting the ball in the back of the net is what you need to win major Europeans competitions.
Off the Ball
One thing any arsenal fan can’t complain of when it comes to Gabreil Jesus it’s his work effort for the team. His pressing ability is second to none, and more than often he will track back when possession is lost. The stats below look good for a central defender to never mind an attacker; he brings work effort and resilience to the team which lifts everyone around him. His defensive stats compared to Gabriel Martinelli really put into perspective how much he works for the team.
Jesus 22/23 Martinelli22/23
Overall playstyle
As mentioned, it is quite hard to lock Jesus down to a certain position or role due to his flexibility and technical ability. Throughout a game he roams across the front three interchanging with other players to create a huge problem for defenders. Often, he will drop into or behind the midfield to pick up the ball to start the attacks himself, however the problem then occurs of who will finish the attacks? Below is a graph comparing his overall game stats to Kai Havertz, who has also been known for interchanging positions. It is clear to see how well-rounded Gabriel Jesus is due to his potent threat in different areas.
