Arsenal and Tottenham played out a 2-2 draw in the North London Derby on Sunday, but Gabriel Jesus was unimpressive.
Arsenal and Tottenham produced an enthralling affair, and they will feel that they could have easily picked up all three points on another day. But a bad miss by Gabriel Jesus was one of the turning points of the game.
ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has now slammed the Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus for missing a great opportunity to get on the score sheet during the game. Jesus did well to create a one versus one opportunity against the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, but he smashed the effort over the bar.
Nicol claimed that Jesus cannot afford to miss opportunities like that in crucial games of this magnitude. He also opined that the effort by the Brazilian international was not good enough for a team of that level. He also added that the ball would have ended up in the back of the net had it fallen to a player like Erling Haaland.
“Haaland doesn’t miss that chance, just the difference. If that’s Haaland, that ball is in the back of the net. Jesus cannot do what he did there. That is horrendous, not good enough,” Steve Nicol told ESPN.
It is no secret that Arsenal could use a prolific goalscorer, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to dip into the January transfer market for a clinical finisher. Recent reports have linked the North London club with Ivan Toney.
Arsenal challenged for the league title last season, and they will be hoping to go all the way this time around. They have been quite efficient in the final third this season. But a proven goalscorer could make a huge difference for them. Someone like Toney could be up for grabs during the winter transfer window and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
The 27-year-old could transform Arsenal in the final third and add some much-needed cutting edge that has been missing. Meanwhile, Spurs will be hoping to tighten up defensively and they will be thoroughly disappointed with the way they considered the two goals in the derby game.
Mistakes from Cristian Romero allowed Arsenal to score twice, and the Argentine international will have to do better in the crucial moments if Tottenham are to get back into the UEFA Champions League and compete for trophies.
