Thierry Henry recently shared his thoughts on an Arsenal player he believes may be frustrating manager Mikel Arteta, following their 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Henry feels Arsenal needs an additional forward, hinting that Gabriel Jesus’ limited impact could be causing Arteta some disappointment.
This draw places Arsenal third in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Manchester City. The team achieved the result despite missing key players, including the suspended William Saliba and injured captain Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal’s defense has been stretched thin with injuries to players like Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori, and during the Liverpool match, both Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber also suffered knocks.
During an episode of The Rest is Football, Henry commended Arteta’s flexibility and praised his adaptability with the squad. He highlighted Arteta’s tactical adjustments, such as deploying Thomas Partey at right-back and using Timber on the left. Henry admired Arsenal’s resilience and ability to remain competitive despite a depleted squad, demonstrating Arteta’s skill in shifting his approach based on available personnel.
However, Henry expressed concern over Arsenal’s forward options, particularly regarding Gabriel Jesus. Signed in 2022 from Manchester City for £45 million, Jesus has struggled with injuries that have hampered his form.
With 19 goals and 15 assists in 80 appearances, he has yet to score or provide an assist in 11 games this season. In comparison, Kai Havertz has become a key player, contributing six goals and an assist in 13 games.
While Havertz has stepped up as the main striker, Jesus has primarily appeared as a substitute, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli as the only other forward options if Havertz is unavailable.
Henry believes adding another forward could alleviate pressure on Havertz and give Arteta greater flexibility in attack. Jesus will aim to break his goal drought in Arsenal’s upcoming Carabao Cup match against Preston on Wednesday, where he will have an opportunity to make a fresh impact.
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