MILAN — This is what all managers hope rotation looks like. Gabriel Jesus put Arsenal on the path to Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Internazionale with a brace that simultaneously staked his claim to lead the attack in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The man he would replace at striker had just 15 minutes to respond. Viktor Gyökeres used that time to curl a right-foot shot into the top corner in what might just rank as his best finish in an Arsenal shirt to date.
It was a goal reminiscent of Inter midfielder Petar Sucic‘s 18th-minute strike that briefly drew the Italian side level before Jesus’ second goal 13 minutes later, which extended the Gunners’ perfect UEFA Champions League record and guaranteed a top-two finish. That placement secures home advantage in the second legs of the knockout rounds.
On a night when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made seven changes, the result made it seven wins from seven games. Switching strikers has rarely worked better.
“If I had to write it [the perfect outcome], probably that would be it,” said Arteta. “So I’m very happy with that. I’m very happy as well with most of the individual performances. I think they were incredible. You don’t win in San Siro without that.
“We played the fourth consecutive game away from home in four different competitions in 10 days, I think it was. So it’s crazy, basically. And no matter that we’ve done it, we’ve been able to do that because we have rotated, because players feel important, players are fit to play when it’s needed.”
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Jesus’ 10th-minute opener owed something to good fortune. Eberechi Eze injected some pace into Arsenal’s attack before they tried to work the ball into the Inter box. The ball came to Jurriën Timber, and he made a hash of his shot, but the ball fell into Jesus’ path and the Brazilian volleyed expertly past Yann Sommer.
It was precisely the sort of clinical finish Gyökeres has been lacking lately. Another criticism is that he is so out of sync right now that he struggles to be in the right place at the right time, a point Jesus proved when putting Arsenal back in front after Sucic’s well-taken goal. Bukayo Saka swung a corner to the far post, where Leandro Trossard headed it back but onto the crossbar. It fell perfectly for Jesus to nod in.
There was a fluidity to Arsenal’s attack that accentuated Jesus’ impact, but the goals meant more to him than anything else. “It’s a dream night,” he said afterward. “I always dreamed of being a footballer. I watched when I was a kid. I watched a lot of Serie A, so to be here in this stadium and score here is tears in my eyes because I always dreamed of being here.”
Jesus’ Champions League record is remarkable. He has now registered 26 goals and eight assists from 52 games and averages 1.03 goal involvements per 90 minutes.
There was a clear sense that Arsenal needed to upgrade at striker — hence why Kai Havertz played there last year in Jesus’ absence because of a knee injury, before Mikel Merino deputized to useful effect and Gyökeres was acquired in the summer from Sporting Lisbon. With the trio now fit again, there is a genuine competition for places, which could drive each forward and perhaps help ease the burden on Gyökeres, who has palpably fallen short of expectations during his first six months in England.
If he made a step forward against Chelsea in last week’s Carabao Cup semifinal first leg against Chelsea, he regressed against Nottingham Forest last weekend. But Gyökeres responded impressively here, collecting Gabriel Martinelli‘s superb forward pass with the outside of his foot before trying to play in Saka. The ball hit Saka’s heel and fell kindly for Gyökeres, who finished high into the net.
“The game was taking a shape that fit him very much,” Arteta said of Gyökeres. “He had two chances and put one away. For him, it’s the second away game he’s done very well, and he’s finding some consistency.”
The dilemma, then, is whether to persevere with Gyökeres as he continues his adaptation or reward Jesus for his impact in Italy against the current Serie A leaders and last season’s beaten Champions League finalists.
Havertz is an intriguing alternative and might even supersede both when Arteta feels he is fully ready to play regularly, leaving Arteta with the potential firepower to compete on four fronts. As Inter coach Cristian Chivu put it, “[They are] with Bayern Munich the two best teams for the moment” in Europe.
“Everyone wants to start,” said Jesus. “I am a very respectful guy. I am not a kid anymore, I am 28, so I understand football. I am very happy Vik came on and scored a goal. I am so happy I scored and Vik scored. I am confident Kai will score when he gets the chance.”
Who gets the chance next is unclear, and that will only help Arteta and Arsenal keep this form up.
