Gabriel Jesus has continued to prove his worth in gameweek five of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Coming into this home fixture with five-goal contributions from the first four Premier League outings. There was an expectation that Arsenal's new number 9 would continue his first start against an Aston Villa side who are struggling deeply under Steven Gerrard. Amid a frustrating start to the first half, which saw Bukayo Saka denied a penalty after Tyrone Mings had been adjudged to have not pulled his shirt in the box despite TV evidence suggesting otherwise.
The north Londoners continued to press and hustle for that elusive opening goal, and it came in the 30th minute when Jesus pounced on an Emiliano Martinez mistake to grab his third goal of the season and his sixth goal contribution in the process. At the same time as things were unfolding at the Emirates Stadium in the first half, his successor at the Etihad Stadium continued his electric form to life in the Premier League as the Norwegian netted a first-half hat-trick against Nottingham Forest.
READ MORE: Arsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE: Jesus scores after Emiliano Martinez howler, VAR rejects penalty
Both first-half performances from the duo have gone down well by Fantasy Premier League owners who have placed faith in the pair from the get-go.
But would Jesus have done the same if he had stayed at City and formed a potential partnership with Haaland?
Martin Keown believes Arteta's decision to play the £45m man down the middle instead of on the winger has paid its dividend as Jesus continues to prove this point correct weekly.
"He played very much out on the wing at Manchester City, Haaland has come in now, and this is now his opportunity to play down the middle now and make up for lost time. He looks like he is on fire straight from the start," Keown told BT Sport 4.
The former Arsenal defender then added on his goal more specifically: "He is the predator in the box, he is the first to react, but you have to say that defensively, it is poor by Villa. Why Konsa is not getting quick enough out there to Xhaka, I don't know. He could be further out, and that will make him offside, and then Mings just leaves Jesus who sweeps it past the 'keeper, but Martinez has to do better there."
Arsenal fans- Who will prove to be the better signing- Gabriel Jesus or Erling Haaland? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
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