Ian Wright has named the Arsenal player he would have liked to have seen start the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.
There is everything to play for heading into the second-leg at the Allianz Arena. Leandro Trossard’s equaliser meant that the tie is level as they prepare to face off again in Bavaria.
The evening started perfectly for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka gave Mikel Arteta’s side the lead with a trademark finish after 12 minutes.
But from there, Bayern were able to turn the game around before half-time.
Ian Wright wishes one Arsenal star had started against Bayern Munich
Thankfully for Arsenal, they were able to level it up before the end. Trossard found the back of the net after some good work from Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus had only been on the pitch for nine minutes when he weaved his way into the Bayern box before laying the ball off for Trossard.
It was a moment of brilliance from the £45 million Arsenal substitute. And speaking on Wrighty’s House after the game, Ian Wright suggested that it was perhaps an indicator that he should have kept his place in the starting lineup.
“Can I just say, just quickly, I know I’m jumping forward a bit, but I would like to have seen maybe Jesus start that game for some reason,” he said.
“He just gave us a little bit of something different when he got on the ball and when the ball was on the ground, rather than Kai’s physical presence trying to link play and all that. I thought in the first-half, I would have liked to have a little more intricacy in and around their box. That’s what I would’ve liked to have seen.”
Remarkable statistic shows Gabriel Jesus could be Arsenal’s secret weapon in second-leg
Jesus brought a composure to the side when he was introduced. As shown by Whoscored, no Arsenal player completed more dribbles than the 27-year-old.
What is remarkable is his record in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
Jesus has come in for criticism for how clinical he is in front of goal. And there is a feeling that Kai Havertz has elevated Arsenal to another level.
But Jesus’ record in the Champions League this season is excellent. In fact, he has same number of goals and assists in seven European games as he has in 21 appearances in the Premier League this term.
Over his entire career, Jesus has 24 goals in 45 Champions League games. That is an outstanding return for someone who averages around one goal in every three games in the top-flight in England.
And given his impact on Tuesday, it will be very interesting to see whether Mikel Arteta hands him a start in the Allianz Arena in the second-leg.
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