Is new Arsenal signing Gabriel Jesus jinxed? Here's why the Gunners have a No.9 curse

Arsenal have signed Gabriel Jesus – but he may have already been struck by a curse preventing him from ever recreating his Manchester City form. 

Football is a logical game most of the time but sometimes there are no explanations for simple things. And at the Emirates Stadium over the course of 25 whole years, players wearing the No.9 shirt have been lumbered with a terrible jinx.

Jesus has already been seen wearing the shirt. So is he going to break the spell? Is this some kind of witchcraft? Or absolute nonsense perpetuated by poor signings?

The Arsenal No.9 curse: Will Gabriel Jesus continue it?

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.

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 £8 million – 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 Antonio 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 – who apparently literally walked out of a medical with Lille when he heard Wenger was interested – would be a monumental flop. That didn't stop the Gunners signing him 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. 2016-2017: Lucas Perez

It should have been Jamie Vardy. Arsenal bid for the striker after the Foxes had pipped them to the title, only for Vardy himself to turn down the move in favour of Leicester loyalty. Instead, 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 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. 

10. 2017-2022: Alexandre Lacazette

Some will claim that Alexandre Lacazette has been 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. 

The striker leaves north London having never played in the Champions League. They're not the toughest boots to fill…