The Arsenal No.9 curse is real – and Gabriel Jesus can testify.
The Brazilian arrived at the Emirates Stadium as a no-brainer: a £45 million deal that would surely end the Gunners’ woes in attack and buck the trend of misfiring No.9. Yet Jesus could be sacrificed just two years later, according to The Athletic, having struggled with chronic injury problems.
Some fear he simply isn’t the same player they signed. It follows a worrying trend of Arsenal stars who have taken that hallowed shirt and failed to deliver…
The Arsenal No.9 curse: 1. 1997-1999: Nicolas Anelka
It all began with the Incredible Sulk. Nicolas Anelka was first brought over to the Premier League by Arsene Wenger as a fleet-footed, ferocious forward capable of ripping open defences with his movement – he scored in the FA Cup final in ’98 and helped lead Arsenal to a Double, with the No.9 on his back.
So far, so great: until, of course, Real Madrid came calling. Anelka’s head was turned and Wenger was said to be heartbroken by how coldly his protege upped sticks for the Bernabeu. The curse had begun.
2. 1999-2000: Davor Suker
The 1998 World Cup Golden Boot winner, Davor Suker had managed a goal every other game at Dinamo Zagreb and Sevilla before a massive move to Real Madrid, where he won domestic and European trophies. He scored three hat-tricks in his first season, trailing Ronaldo in the top-scoring stakes.
Yet he couldn’t recreate that at Arsenal, missing a penalty in his third match for the Gunners against Liverpool and repeating the trick in the 2000 UEFA Cup final, as Wenger’s side lost to Galatasaray. Suker trudged off to West Ham.
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3. 2001-2004: Francis Jeffers
Gabriel Jesus is arguably the first big-name, big-money striker that Arsenal have signed from another Premier League club since this guy: the archetypal Fox in the Box himself, Francis Jeffers.
Jeffers was signed for £8m – back then, a lot of money for an exciting young English talent – but injury-ravaged his time at Highbury. Despite being at the club for a Double and two FA Cups, he wasn’t in either Cup final squad, nor the match that clinched the title. He went back on loan to Everton and was sent off in his final Gunners appearance.
4. 2003-2006: Jose Antonio Reyes
Jose Reyes was the boy who was supposed to turn the No.9 shirt into something more profitable. Wenger’s record signing in January 2004, the Spaniard was a phenomenally intriguing talent, capable of playing up front or on the left – and actually, his career in England brought him a league title, an FA Cup and a Champions League final appearance.
But not without its difficulties. Reyes scored an own goal in a League Cup game in only his second appearance, to see this unbeatable side knocked out the competition to Middlesbrough. He appeared semi-regularly as an alternative to the ageing Robert Pires but his lack of physicality was perhaps highlighted by the infamous Old Trafford encounter of 2004 in which Manchester United ganged up on him. Eventually, he was the victim of a prank radio show phone call, where he pined for a return to his homeland. He only scored 16 league goals in 69 for Arsenal.
Reyes also left on loan to Real Madrid, enjoying a far happier time playing in Spain than he’d had in England, before his tragic death in 2019.
5. 2006-2007: Julio Baptista
If Reyes lacked the brawn to compete in England, his replacement, Julio Baptista, most certainly didn’t. Signed on loan from Real Madrid in the opposite direction, Wenger had wanted the Beast for a while – and four goals against Liverpool in the League Cup most certainly became the highlight of his short stint in north London.
But the Beast apparently didn’t like the cold, either. Three goals in 24 league games made a permanent transfer difficult for Wenger to justify, too. It’s fair to say that he never got a decent opportunity to play centrally, either, given the competition.
6. 2007-2010: Eduardo da Silva
One of several Croatia-based Brazil stars of this time, Eduardo da Silva was a cut above recent Arsenal No.9s. He was quick, nimble, had a natural knack for goal and could combine with his teammates. He even looked like leading the Gunners to a title in 2007/08 – until the horror injury that has defined his career.
Eduardo was left with a broken leg and open dislocation of his ankle against Birmingham City in February 2008 following a mistimed tackle. He was lucky not to lose his foot: it remains one of the worst injuries in the history of the league and unsurprisingly, he was never the same player again. The young Gunners side let the title slip from this position, through a mixture of horror and missing their star striker. It was so cruel on such an excellent footballer.
7. 2010-2011: Park Chu-Young
Arsenal’s in-house analysis company StatDNA comprehensively found South Korean forward Park Chu-Young would be a monumental flop. That didn’t stop the Gunners signing him – after he apparently walked out of a medical with Lille when he heard Wenger was interested – and giving him the No.9 shirt.
Park played under 10 minutes in the Premier League, against Manchester United of all sides, in an underwhelming spell in English football. Still, probably did Arsenal’s brand no harm whatsoever in the Far East.
8. 2012-2015: Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski was next to snatch the striker’s digit – and he was actually a renowned forward. The German has since been touted by Wenger as having the hardest shot he’d ever seen and was a fan’s favourite: not least for his continual Tottenham taunts on social media, which still appear to this day.
In three years in north London, however, Podolski was largely a back-up for Olivier Giroud, who had superior hold-up play. Poldi didn’t get the breaks at the Emirates: he was supposed to replace Robin van Persie but only really scored a goal every three appearances before a loan move to Inter Milan. A cult hero among fans – but he didn’t live up to expectation.
9: Bonus! Jamie Vardy
Yep, that one. Arsenal apparently had a deal lined up for Leicester City hero, Jamie Vardy. He would have taken the No.9 top. But infamously, he stayed loyal to the Foxes – and that short-term gamble up front would have arguably solved a problem position for a fair few years. One that got away – but we bet he’d have signed, had he worn a different digit for Leicester.
10. 2016-2017: Lucas Perez
After being turned down by Vardy, Wenger looked to Spanish hitman Lucas Perez to fill the No.9 void.
It made sense: there were similarities between Perez and Vardy in terms of movement, stature and finishing. And after a hat-trick against Basel in Europe and a brace against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup, it really looked like the Gunners had signed the next best thing – but Perez only lasted a season in north London, scoring once in the league, again, not catching the breaks.
Who knows why it didn’t work out? Perhaps refusing to come on as a substitute when later playing for West Ham United could be a clue.
11. 2017-2022: Alexandre Lacazette
Some will claim that Alexandre Lacazette was a success at Arsenal. Alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he formed a feared partnership up top, won an FA Cup, assumed the captaincy and led this young Arsenal side through rough patches with apparent leadership behind the scenes. For £50m though, Arsenal were expecting a far better return.
Laca scored four goals in his final season in England and never notched over 15 in the league. Over his time at the Emirates, his explosiveness waned: in Unai Emery’s sole full campaign, the only away games he scored in were against relegated sides. Aubameyang was bought to compensate for the Frenchman’s lack of power and production – and while Lacazette is fondly admired by plenty of Gooners, he can hardly be quantified a surefire hit. He left north London having never played in the Champions League. They’re not the toughest boots to fill…
12. Gabriel Jesus (2022—)
“They say he walks on water and turns it into wine,” the Emirates faithful sing of one of three Gabbies. “Oh, I believe in Jesus, the Arsenal No.9.”
He started so well. Jesus led the line magnificently when he arrived, sparking a young team into life, leading a title charge and assuming the vice-captaincy. Then came the knocks: injured at the World Cup and sidelined for months, he’s still (still) failed to re-find the groove he had when he joined.
Kai Havertz is leading the line now. A new striker looks an almost certainty this summer. Jesus claimed ahead of a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich that he can’t remember the last time he played without pain. It’s such a shame: will he leave this summer?
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