Gilberto Silva has come to the defence of Gabriel Jesus as calls for the striker to leave Arsenal grow louder, with some fans demanding a replacement for their number nine.
Critics argue that Jesus has been ineffective on the pitch, prompting Arsenal to monitor several potential strikers. In the summer, the club expressed interest in signing Benjamin Šeško and plans to return for him at the end of this season. Viktor Gyökeres is another striker linked with a move to the Emirates, and if the Gunners secure any of these forwards, Jesus may find it difficult to get playing time.
While it’s hard to find many supporters for Jesus at this moment, Gilberto remains one of them. The Arsenal legend insists that Jesus is struggling due to the lingering effects of his previous injuries.
He needs time and support to get back to his best form at the Emirates. Gilberto said, as quoted by Team Talk:
“Jesus has suffered a lot with injuries and that really gets in the way.
“You break your rhythm and you always have to start over. It’s a huge challenge for any player. But injuries have had a big impact on Jesus’ loss of space, as he was out of action for a long time.
“It also opened up space for Havertz, who played in positions where Jesus would have played. He ended up doing well there. However, as a nine, Jesus has the potential to do more if he’s healthy. But Havertz came in so well that many people didn’t even think about his absences.”
