Arsenal warned of ‘big problem’ player who ‘needs to step up’ amid troubling period

Gabby Agbonlahor has told Arsenal that Gabriel Jesus is currently a “big problem” due to his lack of production, and the forward “needs to step up” amid injuries to other big players.

Jesus is into his third season as a Gunners player and did not perform badly in his first two campaigns. Indeed, the Brazilian has 19 goals and 15 assists in 79 games since moving to the club.

However, none of those have come this season, and Agbonlahor feels that’s a problem for Arsenal, particularly with other big-name players sidelined.

“I think they’ve got a big problem with Gabriel Jesus. His form, he hasn’t scored or assisted in 10 appearances this season,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT.

“When he first signed, he got 11 goals and seven assists in his first season in 2022/23. Last season, in 36 games he got eight goals and eight assists, which isn’t bad.

“But this season, zero goals and zero assists. You know, when players are injured and not available, they’re starting [Raheem] Sterling in front of him and started other players in front of him. [In the Champions League] he wasn’t great again, taken off for Sterling before 70 minutes.

“They need Gabriel Jesus up to form, especially with your little injuries to [Martin] Odegaard and to [Bukayo] Saka, he needs to step up.”

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Indeed, Odegaard has been out since early September, missing eight games for the Gunners, and he may not return before the November international break.

Saka has missed two games, and manager Mikel Arteta was unsure if he’d be able to return for Arsenal’s next. With both men out, the club needs contributions from elsewhere, and Jesus, having not failed to surpass 15 goal contributions in either of his first two seasons, needs to get back to that level.

Arsenal lost 2-0 without both the aforementioned stars against Bournemouth, and contributions from other players could have prevented that embarrassing defeat.

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