Gary Neville identifies ‘big problem’ with Gabriel Jesus during Arsenal draw against Tottenham
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville highlighted Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus' erraticness as a major problem as the Gunners drew 2-2 against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (September 24).
Arsenal faced an in-form Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium in a tense North London derby. Gabriel Jesus nearly gave the Gunners the lead in the 14th minute only for Guglielmo Vicario to make an exceptional save.
Mikel Arteta's side took the lead in the 26th minute when Bukayo Saka's shot ricocheted off Cristian Romero into the back of the net.
Jesus had a massive opportunity to make it 2-0 six minutes later when he dispossessed James Maddison. However, his shot blazed over the goal when he should have realistically hit the target at the very minimum.
Son Heung-min leveled the scores in the 42nd minute. Saka scored a penalty in the 54th minute before Son made it 2-2 just a minute later after Jorginho gave away possession.
Gary Neville criticized Jesus for his miss in the 32nd minute while commentating for Sky Sports Football. He said (via HITC):
“That is Jesus’s big problem. He is erratic in the last part of his game.”
Gabriel Jesus missed three Premier League games earlier in the season due to injury. He has scored two goals in four appearances across all competitions to date.
While the Brazilian star is an excellent forward, his finishing does need to improve for Arsenal to taste success. He only managed to score 11 goals in 33 appearances last season, highlighting his weakness.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou hails defender for 'dominant' performance against Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou praised Destiny Udogie for his performance against Arsenal in their 2-2 draw earlier today.
Udogie had a rough start in the north London derby. The 20-year-old left-back nearly gifted the Gunners the lead and was guilty of not pressing Bukayo Saka which led to Cristian Romero's own goal. He was also booked for a late tackle on the English winger.
However, Udogie showed his resilience and bounced back to help Spurs secure a 2-2 draw. He made four clearances and five recoveries, won 10 duels, and made three headed clearances.
Postecoglou hailed the Italian star (via HITC):
“Spot on. I thought both our full-backs had difficult jobs today. Arsenal’s wide players are outstanding players and that’s where their threats are,” said Postecoglou. “Destiny getting booked early, it could have made it difficult. But the way he dealt with it, in the end I thought he was the dominant player on that side of the pitch.”
He added:
“He finished really strong and had to contend with having a yellow card. It’s a great learning experience for him and for all the guys. They’ve come through that, going toe to toe with a top side."
"You would much rather win and wouldn’t be happy if you lost, but if you put the result to one side, you walk away thinking, ‘OK if we continue down this road, we can be a team that competes against the best."
Udogie joined Tottenham from Udinese last summer for £15 million but stayed on loan at the Italian side. He arrived at Spurs this summer and has impressed so far in his six appearances, providing two assists.