Coach Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Gabriel Jesus following his match-winning performance in the EFL Cup, saying Arsenal will count on the Brazilian to help them in their push for the Premier League title.
Brazil international Jesus delivered one of the finest performances of his career on Wednesday, 18th December, as Arsenal locked horns with Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup. Jean-Philippe Mateta fired Palace into the lead at the Emirates Stadium with a fine strike in the fifth minute. The Gunners pushed for a response for could not find it in the first half.
In the second 45, Jesus took matters into his own hands, singlehandedly pulling the Gunners back into the contest. He applied a gem of a chipped finish in the 54th minute to make it 1-1 in North London. In the 73rd minute, he doubled his money, applying a fine finish to send Bukayo Saka‘s layoff into the back of the net.
He completed his hat-trick eight minutes later, dispatching a thunderous drive to find the far-left corner of Palace’s goal. Ex-Arsenal man Edward Nketiah scored for Palace in the 85th minute to make things interesting, but the hosts held firm to book their place in the semi-finals.
Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Hails Gabriel Jesus After EFL Cup Masterclass
Having scored only once — against Preston North End in the EFL Cup — before the game against Palace, Jesus was eager to deliver a performance of intent. After seeing the forward end his nine-game drought in style, Arteta backed him to continue delivering the goods.
In the post-match press conference, the Spanish tactician said (via GOAL):
“I’m so pleased for him.
“Obviously, it’s been a long period for him without goals, and today to score three goals, the three types of goals he scored as well and the many actions he was involved in — he looked really sharp. I think it’s a great thing for him, it’s a great thing for the team as well that we can rely on a player with such quality. Gabby at that level is a big asset for us.”
Jesus has played 90 matches since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022. He has scored 23 goals and provided 17 assists.
