Gabriel Jesus has been speaking to Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport and suggested Arsenal have two players in their squad who are more creative than him.
Jesus has hit the ground running in north London and made a massive impact on Mikel Arteta’s side already.
The 25-year-old has scored five goals and provided three assists in just nine appearances for the Gunners. He’s been their joint-second most creative player so far this season, with the same amount of assists as Granit Xhaka.
Bukayo Saka tops the assists rankings for the Arsenal squad with four. But Jesus has named Xhaka and Martin Odegaard as the two players who are even more creative than him.
Jesus suggests Xhaka and Odegaard are more creative
Ferdinand told Jesus that he’s seen a different side to his game since he joined Arsenal. The former Manchester United man thinks the Gunners man is now picking the ball up in deeper areas and dribbling past opposition defenders.
And Ferdinand asked Jesus if he sees himself as a traditional striker or a creative player.
“It’s a good question because I cannot answer your question properly cause I want to score goals,” Jesus told Ferdinand on BT Sport.
“If I want to score goals I have to arrive in the box, if I want to arrive in the box, I cannot drop deep a lot because in the end I don’t have power or time to get into the box.
“But sometimes I can create for other players as well. I’m not [Kevin] De Bruyne, I’m not Martin [Odegaard], I’m not [Granit] Xhaka, but I can drop and help as well.
“The difference sometimes is about the manager. Sometimes I drop at [Manchester] City, but now I play more frequently and then I think you feel free, you just go there.”
It’s interesting to hear Jesus suggest Xhaka and Odegaard are more creative players than him. The pair have been in brilliant form for the Gunners this season, particularly the former.
Odegaard is yet to provide an assist this season but has already bagged three goals and is often influential to Arsenal’s attacks.
Jesus currently has the most goal involvements in the entire Arsenal squad with eight. There’s no doubt that he’s been the Gunners’ most productive outlet so far but he clearly sees two of his teammates as the creative players in the side.