Gary Neville compares Arsenal ace he 'loves' to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez

26 December 2023 , 09:41

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Gary Neville compares Arsenal ace he 'loves' to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has compared Arsenal ace Gabriel Jesus to former Red Devils duo Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

The Brazil international has had a mixed time of it at the Emirates since arriving last summer from reigning champions Manchester City. Jesus has undeniably raised the technical ceiling at Arsenal, but still faces question marks over his finishing ability.

For all of his remarkable flair and quality everywhere else on the pitch, Jesus' goals tally this term hardly makes for stellar reading. The 26-year-old has netted just three goals in 13 Premier League games and has spurned a number of good chances in multiple outings, prompting some to cast doubt over whether he is the man that can fire Arsenal to the title.

One of those who is sceptical is Neville, who admitted that he 'loves' Jesus, but is unsure if he is as clinical as Mikel Arteta's side need him to be. He also claimed the Gunners No.9 was struggling to link up with wide duo Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka as well as he should.

‘I don’t see Jesus, Martinelli and Saka linking up,’ Neville said on his podcast. ‘When Saka is trying to cross to the back post, he is smashing it across. I don’t see Martinelli charging in at the back post. There’s quite a lot to work on.

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"I’ve found myself talking at the end of many Arsenal games this season about whether Jesus and [Eddie] Nketiah are No.1 and No.2 strikers in a Premier League title winning side, or if they are actually No.2 and No.3 strikers.

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Gabriel Jesus has been compared to ex-Man Utd duo Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez

"I love Jesus. I really love him, honestly. I think he’s a brilliant player and I would have loved to play with him. He’s got a bit of Wayne Rooney in him, a bit of Carlos Tevez in him. But he hasn’t got that instinct in front of goal. Sometimes, he is everywhere where you don’t want him."

Arsenal currently sit top of the pile following Saturday's 1-1 draw away at Anfield. The Gunners boast a slender one point advantage over their nearest challengers Liverpool and Aston Villa, who are both in action on Boxing Day.

The Gunners are next in action on Thursday night, when they welcome West Ham to the Emirates. A win would see them maintain top spot before a New Year's Eve trip across London to take on Fulham.

Josh O'Brien