Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has hailed the impact Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has made following his move to the Emirates this summer.
The Gunners signed the Brazilian international from Manchester City for a fee of around £45 million during the summer transfer window.
The four-time Premier League winner has made an immediate impact at the north London club. After a blistering pre-season, Jesus made a home debut to remember for a very long time.
The former Palmeiras attacker scored twice and created the other two as the north London side secured a 4-2 win against Leicester City.
Noel Whelan has hailed the move for Jesus as a masterstroke as the Brazilian looks like the perfect solution to their goalscoring problems. Whelan has also claimed that the former Manchester City striker looks like a player full of confidence at Arsenal.
He told Football Insider:
"It’s a masterstroke for Arsenal. They identified someone who was going to get them goals after Lacazette and Aubameyang had left, and he was the right fit."
He added:
“Right now, Jesus looks like a different animal altogether and a different player. We saw what he’s producing now in glimpses at Man City – but he’s now being so positive, spending a lot of time in that 18-yard box."
The former Premier League forward has insisted that Jesus looks tailor-made for Mikel Arteta's system:
“He’s involved in everything positive for Arsenal, but he’s not dropping back. He’s leading that line with a lot of confidence, and that’s what we didn’t see from him at City. Arteta’s role for him is fitting like a glove at the moment.”
Arsenal could emerge as title contenders this season
Arsenal narrowly missed out on the fourth spot last season but have worked really well this summer to add more quality and depth to their side.
Mikel Arteta deserves every bit of praise for the amazing job he has done since taking over the club during their tough times.
At the same time, the Gunners hierarchy should also be credited for putting all their trust in their manager even when things did not go well.
They still have a long way to go, but if they can build on their excellent start to the season, they could well mount a title challenge this time out.
With Liverpool's shaky start to the season, the Gunners are the only team apart from Manchester City to have started the season perfectly.