Arsenal’s strange challenge identified

Arsenal’s strange challenge has been identified by Gary Neville. The former England defender says that the Gunners lack of combination between their front three could cost them in the Premier League title race. According to Neville , Arsenal’s current No 9 Gabriel Jesus hasn’t got an “instinct” in front of goal.

The Gunners went top of the league on Christmas Day for the second consecutive year after their a 1-1 draw at Liverpool last Saturday, as Mikel Arteta’s side look to write the wrongs of last season in 2024 when their title charge faltered after Easter.

But Neville says a lack of combination between Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli this season is proving to be a “real problem” for the Gunners, especially when compared to Liverpool’s historic front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah – who are the last attack to beat Manchester City to the league title in 2020.

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“At Arsenal is an emerging front three that could be great. But they don’t combine a lot together,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast.

“That’s a real problem, the best front threes involve their centre-forwards and the wide players, they play and bounce it off them

“You see in years gone by, Salah, Firmino and Mane would link between the three of them. At Manchester United, when we were at our best, the front two would link between them.

“It is difficult for defenders to deal with them when front players link. Martinelli, Jesus and Saka, I don’t see them linking up a lot.

“I’ve been talking at the end of many of their games this season about whether Gabriel Jesus or Eddie Nketiah are No 1 and No 2 strikers in Premier League title-winning sides. Or whether they are actually No 2 and No 3 strikers and they need that No 1.”

Neville says Jesus, who has three goals in 13 Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season, has qualities similar to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez – but says a lack of killer instinct is not helping the Gunners.

“I actually love Jesus,” added Neville. “He’s a brilliant player and I would love to play with him. He’s got a bit of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez in him, but he hasn’t got that instinct in front of goal. Sometimes he’s everywhere you don’t want him to be.

“When you look at these [Arsenal] three [forwards], not just in terms of goals, they don’t combine a lot together in the game. That is going to cost them at some point.

“There have been a lot of times this season where that player [hasn’t been] stepping across the front post to tap it in or get a nick on it, they haven’t got that sniffer.”