Hope everyone is having a cracking Saturday so far.
So Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison and Raphinha. Three 25-year-old Brazilian attackers all making a big move this summer.
We have secured Jesus, Richarlison looks off to Tottenham and Raphinha is Chelsea bound. Rumoured transfer fees range from £45m – £65m.
So who is getting the better player?
Now it is easy to compare Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus as both played a similar role at their respective clubs last year.
Both spent plenty of time playing down the middle but have also performed out wide for club and country.
Raphinha is a little different as he plays exclusively out wide.
All 3 men average the same amount of goals per 90 minutes – Raphinha leads the way in total goals (11) but has played the most minutes (2922) – and over 1000 minutes more than Jesus/
Raphinha’s goal return from out wide is impressive compared to the two others who have played most of the season through the middle.
However once you take penalties out of the equation, Gabriel Jesus becomes the leader.
Excluding penalties, all 3 men scored 7 goals last season – 4 of Raphinha’s 11 goals came from the spot and 3 of Richarlison’s 10.
Taking into account Harry Kane takes penalties for Tottenham, Richarlison’s goal scoring impact at Spurs will not be as great as it was at Everton.
Arsenal are another story however as our three preferred penalty takers – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Lacazette and Nicholas Pepe – have left the club (or are leaving).
Bukayo Saka took up the mantle towards the end of the season but our regular taker spot is certainly up for grabs.
I would be surprised if Jesus becomes our regular taker as he has missed 3 out of 6 penalties taken in the Premier League – but with 8 penalties awarded to us last season in the league there might be an opportunity to further boost that goal tally.
Whilst is is perhaps unfair to throw Raphinha in with Jesus and Richarlison when it comes to scoring goals, we can legitimately compare his other statistics.
When it comes to assists, Raphinha comes out surprisingly poorly with just 3 assists last season.
Considering he was Leeds United’s corner taker last season, this is very poor – although you also have to take into account Leeds were the lowest goal scorers of themselves, Everton and Manchester City. Man City scored over twice as many goals.
What is becoming clear is that in Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal are getting a striker that scores and creates, and one that is clearly superior to Richarlison in both departments.
As we go further down the statistics, Jesus is also the best passer of the 3 – attempting the most per 90 minutes.
Richarlison comes off fairly poor in this area with just 18 passes a game.
That might suit Tottenham who tend to play long ball football, but Arsenal need a striker that can drop into the 10 and get involved in the build up.
Jesus is also clear when it comes to pass completion.
Arsenal’s new striker has an 84.84% pass accuracy. Both Richarlison and Raphinha are below 70%. Not a single outfield player for Arsenal had a pass accuracy below 70% last season.
Raphinha and Richarlison are well known for their take-ons (a posh word for dribbling). But Jesus leads this category as well.
He completes the most per game, and also has the highest take-on success.
So Jesus is the best goal scorer, most creative, best passer and best dribbler. He is also the cheapest option.
Now there is another Brazilian attacker in the Premier League who is a little bit younger than his compatriots – Gabriel Martinelli.
If we remove Jesus from the comparison matrix and add Martinelli, how do things look?
Richarlison, Raphinha and Martinelli are all equal when it comes to non-penalty goals – the younger man slightly behind when it comes to all goals.
Martinelli leads the way it comes to assists per 90, pass accuracy, take-ons completed and take-on success.
It makes you wonder why we were bidding for Raphinha when Martinelli is ahead of him on every important matrix of a wide forward.
So when it comes to Brazilian attackers in the Premier League, we have signed the best of the best. And we also have the second best.
Marching on with Edu’s Army.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Jesus is so much better than Richarlison, but he understudies for Brazil.🤷♂️
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If you play as a forward for a team that is successful, and attack minded, over one that is struggling, and defense minded, your stats should be better. Let’s wait and see end of next season before going overboard on whose stats are better.
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