Arsenal has made a big splash during the summer transfer window, as the Gunners completed the signing of striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City. Jesus spent six seasons with MCFC and won four Premier League titles, most recently lifting the trophy this past year.
Donning the No. 9 shirt for Arsenal, Jesus will slot into the striker role left open by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who left the club in February by mutual decision.
The addition of Jesus should bolster Arsenal’s chances of finishing in the top four, but with other Premier League rivals adding talent, is it a smart bet to take them to qualify for next season’s Champions League?
Let’s look at some betting tips for Arsenal and Manchester City heading into this EPL campaign.
How Gabriel Jesus Fits With Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s squad deployed a 4-3-3 last season, and while Jesus can play all three positions up front, he’ll generally occupy the central striker role for the Gunners.
After Aubameyang’s departure, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah featured as the number nine with differing results. Lacazette finished the EPL campaign with four goals and seven assists, while Nketiah notched five goals and one assist.
Lacazette’s contract expired at the end of the season, and with Nketiah mainly shining during the run-in, bringing in the established Jesus was an excellent move for the Gunners.
Looking to wager on American sports? Head to The Game Day for the latest sports betting odds.
Jesus is a goal threat, having scored 95 times in 236 appearances in all competitions for Man City. However, he wasn’t just a goal-scorer for the Sky Blues, as Jesus also contributed 45 assists in his six seasons, showing he has the vision to create opportunities for his teammates.
With Arsenal competing both domestically and in the Europa League, Jesus will be used as the primary striker with Nketiah rotating in and out of the lineup. Jesus has the experience of competing for titles and knows the pressures of playing at the top level of the Premier League.
Manchester City after Jesus’ Departure
Losing a young star like Jesus is not ideal for any club, but Manchester City is not like every other club. City has won the Premier League title four times in the past five years and just signed one of the biggest stars in Europe in Erling Haaland.
Pep Guardiola’s squad ran a 4-3-3 last season that saw a lot of players rotating in and out. And because of that, the team from Manchester was able to get a lot of different players involved on the stat sheet, as eight players scored seven or more goals. The club’s main loss is Jesus, so adding Haaland just makes them all the better.
Manchester City was the favorite to win the Premier League before Jesus’ departure, and they still are following his transfer to Arsenal. In all likelihood, Man City will be just fine without Jesus in the squad.
Gabriel Jesus Arsenal Bets: Top Goal Scorer & Arsenal Top 4 EPL Finish
➕ Gabriel Jesus: EPL Top Goal Scorer (+1600) at PointsBet Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Place this bet at PointsBet Sportsbook. New players get 2 Risk-Free Bets up to $2,000 by clicking the link or using promo code GOAL2000.
Jesus was tied for fifth in goals for Manchester City with 13 across all competitions last season. He also registered 11 assists, as Man City put a lot of different players in good positions to score.
Bukayo Saka was Arsenal’s leading scorer last season with 12 goals and did that while playing on the wing for the Gunners. However, it wasn’t too long ago that Aubameyang led the squad with 29 and 31 goals in back-to-back seasons.
The expectation is that Jesus will primarily play up front, giving him more opportunities to score as the focal point of the attack. It will be a tough hill to climb to dethrone the defending Golden Boot winners, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-Min, especially with Haaland now in the EPL.
➕ Arsenal to Finish Top 4 in English Premier League (+200) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Click to bet on this prop at BetMGM. Get up to $1,000 Risk-Free when you create a new player account or use promo code GOAL1000.
The last time Arsenal finished in the top four was the 2015-16 Premier League season, when they wrapped up second. Since then, the highest the Gunners have finished was fifth, which they’ve done on three separate occasions.
Arsenal improved markedly last season, going from eighth to fifth with four more wins, but couldn’t get over the line as Tottenham chased them down for fourth spot.
The addition of Jesus upfront significantly improves the squad, as the 25-year-old is set to lead Arsenal in scoring. Though the Gunners are longshots to win the EPL with teams like Man City and Liverpool ahead of them, a top-four finish is within reach.
Manchester City Bets Without Gabriel Jesus
➕ Manchester City to Win English Premier League (-160) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Place this EPL wager at BetMGM.
Manchester City has won the English Premier League four times in the last five years, and with the addition of Haaland, the Sky Blues are strong favorites to three-peat.
Even though the club has moved on from Jesus and captain Fernandinho, Man City is still deep and extremely talented from top to bottom. As a result, they’ll continue their domination of the Premier League and look to add a Champions League title to their trophy case.