Football analyst and former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke believes the club look sharper in attack due to the impact of Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus is the major arrival at the Emirates Stadium, signing for £45m after back-to-back Premier League triumphs with Manchester City – and it seems he has brought that intellect to north London.
He has scored seven goals in a flawless pre-season for Mikel Arteta’s side, including a hat-trick in his non-competitive home debut for the Gunners.
The Brazilian will look to carry that form into the side’s Premier League curtain-raiser with Crystal Palace this Friday, and he has certainly caught the eye of Clarke, coming in for some glowing praise.
Speaking on the Handbrake Off podcast, he said: “He’s different to the guy we saw at Manchester City based on what we’ve seen so far. I think he really is revelling in this main-man status. He’s turned it up a notch.
“What I would say is when you first clap eyes on him in the flesh, you’ll notice one thing – and that is how much faster Arsenal’s attacks are.
“He’s basically just turned it up a notch – more than a notch, actually. Everything that we’re doing inside the final third, because of his sharpness and brightness and skill, is happening twice as fast as it was before.”
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Co-host Ian Stone gladly listened before saying it was certainly an upgrade on the ‘walking pace’ of Alexandre Lacazette, who has been replaced by the Brazilian at the top end of the pitch for the Gunners.
Steve McManaman dubbed him a “superstar” during his time at the Etihad Stadium, and despite being kept to just 99 Premier League starts, the 25-year-old recorded 58 goals and provided a further 29 assists at City, which is a tremendous return.
It will be interesting to see how he performs outside the realm of Pep Guardiola’s tentativeness to rotate his side and if he can produce when being called upon week-in, week-out.