As the Gunners were trailing against the Eagles in the EFL Cup quarter final tie, Gabriel Jesus suddenly found the kind of form that he has been missing for so long to turn the game on its head.
The Brazilian’s goals secured Arsenal’s place in the semi-finals of the competition, and could not have come at a better time for the striker.
Criticisms of Jesus have been mounting in recent weeks, as prior to this flurry of strikes against Crystal Palace, the former Manchester City man had netted just once for the Gunners since January.
Mikel Arteta now needs the 27-year-old to kick on and use this confidence boost to prove that he can impress on a consistent basis.
Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal celebrates their first goal during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stad…
Plenty of Arsenal fans will want to Jesus to keep his place in the starting XI for this weekend’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, after he put the South London outfit to the sword so impressively in the EFL Cup.
However, the forward has made it clear that he will not demand more game time from the manager in person, as he would rather state his case for greater involvement with his performances on the pitch.
Speaking to journalist Jordan Davies after his showing against Crystal Palace, as reported on X, the Brazil international shared his principles when it comes to communicating with the Arsenal manager.
He said: “I have knocked on a manager’s door once in my life… Pep’s door, not to complain, but to ask what I could improve. There is no difference here. I would never go to Mikel’s door and say: ‘I want to play’. There is competition. I understand, but I know I can help.”
Is Jesus’ mentality a problem for Arsenal?
There is an argument, though, that Jesus ought to be banging on Arteta’s door and asking for another start after his performance against Crystal Palace.
The striker has to back himself, and show that he is confident that he can continue to deliver.
Jesus’ attitude was recently questioned by Troy Deeney, who recalled that he Arsenal star once admitted that goalscoring is not his strong suit.
Jesus needs to show that he can be ruthless and single-minded on and off the pitch, and that may mean delivering another message to Arteta behind the scenes at the Emirates Stadium.
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