Gary Neville does not believe Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are efficient enough to see Arsenal go all the way in the Premier League title race and feels the Gunners need to bring in a clinical goalscorer.
Arsenal ended a 12-game losing streak over title rivals Manchester City in intense fashion after substitute Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench and saw his effort deflected into the net in the 86th minute. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah missed chances of their own while the latter was taken off, with the Gunners still in search of a goal.
Despite their intense work rate, Neville feels both players lack the killer instinct required and believes their lack of a clinical touch in front of goal could ultimately cost Arsenal the title this season.
Neville explains why Nketiah and Jesus are not good enough
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Neville explained: “There’s one thing about Arsenal, I’ve watched Arsenal in big games this season – against Tottenham and against City – and look, they’ve both been difficult games.”
“Tottenham have been in good form and obviously City are City and they don’t give a lot away. But Nketiah and Jesus… there’s talk this morning of Ivan Toney being linked with Arsenal in January.”
“There’s no doubt Nketiah and Jesus they work their absolute socks off, but in quality terms I just found in those two matches, is that going to be enough to win Arsenal the league?”
“That’s my only doubt is actually a centre-forward, because if they’d had a centre-forward – like if they had a Haaland, if they had a Kane – I’d be saying, “It’s Arsenal I think if they can keep Saliba and Gabriel and Rice fit”
‘But, honestly, I worry about Nketiah and Jesus. They’re erratic.”
He added: “They’re not wired, are they, to score goals naturally. Instinctively they don’t make the runs that you see goalscorers make.”
“They hold back, they’re always looking for the pull-back, they’re never getting across players.”
“I just look at Jesus, he is quite erratic in front of goal. The work ethic of both of them is brilliant, I just question, at that level, can they win the league without another striker?”
Fellow pundit Ian Wright begrudgingly agreed with Neville’s assessment, saying: “You can’t question the endeavour of both of these players, Eddie and Jesus, but in the moments I think you look back at the Tottenham game, with the Jesus miss.”
“For a player of his level, his calibre, to get into that position at 1-0 up, you have to [score]. Those chances have to be buried. And I believe for what Arsenal are trying to do, the margins are so small now, you cannot afford to be missing chances like that and not win those games.”
“And what I’m seeing with Eddie, he’s working his socks off, no chances really made for him. The work off the ball, fantastic, same with Jesus.”
