"He's got a bit of Wayne Rooney in him" - Gary Neville likens Arsenal star to Manchester United icon after 1-1 Liverpool draw
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has likened Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus to former Premier League striker Wayne Rooney.
The Brazilian attacker started the Gunners' 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Saturday (December 23). While he failed to get on the scoresheet, he made an impact with his link-up play and work off the ball.
Neville lavished praise on Jesus and compared him to Rooney, who scored 313 career goals, with 253 of those coming for the Red Devils. The former Manchester United defender also compared him to ex-West Ham United striker Carlos Tevez, who netted 84 Premier League goals.
Speaking after Jesus' latest performance, Neville said (via The Boot Room):
“I actually love Jesus, I really love him. Honestly, I think he’s a brilliant player, I’d love to play with him. He’s got a bit of Rooney in him, he’s got a bit of Tevez in him, he’s got sort of everything."
However, he expressed reservations about the Arsenal attacker's ability to find the net.
“But, he hasn’t got that sort of instinct in front of goal, and sometimes, he’s everywhere you don’t want him to be,” he added.
In the aforementioned fixture, the former Manchester City striker managed an 86% passing accuracy and attempted three shots, out of which one found the target.
Despite receiving praise from Neville, Jesus has failed to find the net with regularity in the Premier League. This season, he's scored just three goals and assisted one from 13 appearances.
Expect the Brazilian forward to start against West Ham United on Thursday (December 28).
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta calls Liverpool clash the 'most intense' Premier League fixture he's seen in 20 years
Arsenal managed Mikel Arteta was impressed by his side's display against Liverpool on Saturday. The Gunners went ahead through Gabriel's header in the fourth minute, only to see it canceled out by Mohamed Salah's strike before the break (29').
Both sides managed 13 attempts on goal, with the Reds finding the target thrice compared to Arsenal's two. The game saw a total of 27 fouls and seven yellow cards handed out.
Speaking after the match, Arteta said (via the club's official website):
"It was an unbelievable game of football, one of the most intense and hectic games that I have witnessed in 20 years in this league. The quality, the intentions of both teams… It was superb to watch it and we as a team with the boys willing to play at that level."
Arteta's side are first in the Premier League standings with 40 points, one ahead of second-placed Liverpool. Up next for the Merseysiders is an away trip to face Burnley on Tuesday (December 26).