Mikel Arteta believes Gabriel Jesus has the ‘quality’ to reclaim the starting striker role from Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal.
Gabriel Jesus Can Reclaim Arsenal Striker Role
Gabriel Jesus has the ‘quality’ to push for the starting striker role at Arsenal, says Mikel Arteta.
The Brazilian spent close to a year on the sidelines after rupturing his ACL against Manchester United last January but made his competitive return against Club Brugge in midweek.
He featured for 28 minutes as the Gunners claimed a 3-0 win in the Champions League.
They are now the outright favourites to win the competition, according to the latest Champions League winner betting odds, priced at 7/2 ahead of Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Jesus impressed during his brief cameo out in Belgium, with many suggesting he should be rewarded with more game time against Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Arteta, who was also excited by the 28-year-old’s performance on Wednesday, was quizzed on whether Jesus can reclaim his position as Arsenal’s first-choice striker from Viktor Gyokeres.
The Spaniard responded: “Yes – we know his quality, he has given us so much.
“If he comes with the quality he did the other day then he is certainly a player that has to be pushing and aiming for that [to start up front].”
Gyokeres has struggled for form since his high-profile summer arrival from Sporting, having netted just six goals in 18 matches, opening the door for Jesus to come back into the lineup.
Despite an underwhelming start, Arteta is convinced the goals will come for the Swede.
He commented: “Before the injury he was in a great place, it took him a while at the beginning because it’s a different league with different demands, he had no pre-season.
“The goals will come, and we will be very pleased with him.”
Arteta also provided an Arsenal injury update ahead of Wolves’ visit to north London at the weekend, confirming the latest on the likes of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Declan Rice.
Gabriel Jesus Not For Sale In January
Some Gunners fans have suggested that the club should look to sell Jesus due to his poor injury record over the years, however Arteta isn’t considering a sale ahead of the January window.
“I don’t consider that [selling Jesus], especially with the situation we have right now.
“Gabby has a lot to offer, he proved that straight away in the first minutes he was available to play. He put so much to be in this position again. Now the focus is for him to be with us.”
His current deal runs until the summer of 2027, having penned a five-year contract in 2022 after joining from Manchester City in a move worth a reported £45m.
Since his move to the English capital, Jesus has scored 26 goals in 97 games for the Gunners.
