The weekend was one of mixed emotions for Arsenal fans. On one hand, Liverpool leapfrogged them into first place, but on the other, they came away from the Etihad with a point.
It's the first time since May 2016 that the Gunners have avoided defeat away to Manchester City, and while it would've been better to collect all three points, one still keeps them in the Premier League title race.
It was a result built largely on an immense defensive effort from the entire XI, with very few chances coming for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus.
That said, the Brazilian probably had the best chances for the north Londoners, and while he certainly wasn't terrible, he probably shouldn't start tonight.
Gabriel Jesus' performance against City
It's been an interesting season for the former City man. Despite looking dangerous in the Champions League and racking up six goal involvements in as many games, he's struggled to do the same in the Premier League, scoring four goals and providing three assists in 20 games.
This lacklustre form has only been exacerbated by his consistent injury problems, which have seen him miss 16 games this season and the fact that, in his absence, the team seems to have found their best form with Havertz as a spearhead.
However, the "tremendous" São Paulo-born gem, as Arteta described him, is clearly a fantastically talented player, and so it makes sense for the Spaniard to try what he did at the Etihad and start the 26-year-old on the left of a three.
This could well be the best way to get the most out of Jesus going forward, but in Sunday's game, he still struggled to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
It's an opinion shared by GOAL's Charlie Watts, who gave him a 6/10 on the day and wrote that he was both 'lively and frustrating', an assessment backed up by his individual statistics from the game.
Minutes
72'
Expected Goals
0.17
Expected Assists
0.26
Shots on Target
0
Shots off Target
2
Dribbles (Successful)
4 (3)
Accurate Passes
8/10 (80%)
Lost Possession
7
Duels (Won)
12 (4)
Dribbled Past
2
Fouls
3
In his 72 minutes of action, the right-footed marksman registered an expected goals figure of 0.17 and an expected assists figure of 0.26. He took two shots that were off target, succeeded in three of his four dribbles, was accurate in just 80% of his passes, lost eight of his 12 duels, was dribbled past twice, and committed three fouls.
Lastly, while dangerous, Jesus couldn't provide Arsenal with a genuine outlet to relieve the immense pressure they were under. So, for tonight's game against Luton Town, Arteta should drop him to the bench.
Why Gabriel Martinelli should start
Yes, the player in question is the incredibly dynamic Gabriel Martinelli, and there are two key reasons why he should be selected to start ahead of Jesus.
Appearances
163
Goals
41
Assists
24
Goal Involvements per Match
0.39
The first reason is simple: he's Arsenal's best left winger. In 46 games last year, the "sensational talent", as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, scored 15 goals and provided six assists. While his return of eight goals and five assists this season is a little underwhelming, he has still looked incredibly dangerous when on the pitch.
The 22-year-old's blistering pace and tenacious style of play have made him an essential element to how Arsenal attack teams. His ability to break down the left, push back the defending team and bring his teammates into play will be crucial if Arsenal are to end their two-decade title drought this season.
It should be no surprise that the three games he hasn't started recently have also coincided with a drop in the goals scored by his teammates.
Reason number two is related to that, and it's all about his match sharpness.
When Arteta introduced the former Ituano gem towards the end of the City game, it was quite clear that he wasn't up to speed yet. So a game against a much easier opponent at the Emirates is the perfect opportunity to play him back to full readiness, especially with the two legs against Bayern Munich just around the corner.
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Ultimately, the Gunners will likely prove too strong for the Hatters regardless of which Brazilian starts out on the left, but with there being no margin for error anymore, it is imperative that Martinelli is fit and ready to go for the rest of the run-in.
