Mikel Arteta has expressed his firm belief that the 'incredible' Gabriel Jesus is ready to provide Arsenal with a fresh and dynamic attacking dimension as the Brazilian forward approaches a significant milestone for the club.
A Gruelling 332-Day Ordeal
The Arsenal manager's praise comes after a torrid year for Jesus, whose progress was brutally halted by a serious knee injury. The 28-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during a match against Manchester United in January, forcing him to the sidelines for a staggering 332 days.
He only made his long-awaited return to the pitch at the beginning of this month. In a poignant open letter published last Thursday, Jesus laid bare the mental struggle of his recovery, stating: 'For me, a day without football is a terrible day... I had 300 bad days in a row.'
The Perfect Stage for a Comeback?
Arteta now faces a tantalising selection decision for Arsenal's Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Crystal Palace on Tuesday. The fixture presents a potentially ideal scenario for Jesus's first start since his return, given his outstanding record against the Eagles.
In a remarkable display last December, just weeks before his ACL injury, Jesus scored a second-half hat-trick against Palace in the same competition. He also netted twice against them in a Premier League encounter, proving himself a consistent thorn in their side.
Arteta's Verdict on Jesus's Unique Impact
Reflecting on the striker's journey since his £45m arrival from Manchester City in July 2022, Arteta described it as 'a very intense journey'. He highlighted the immediate uplift Jesus brought, saying: 'When he joined us, he raised the belief, the spirit and the energy of the club and the team. He brought something very different to what we already had, and it was really impressive.'
The Spaniard was quick to pinpoint the forward's greatest asset. 'That's probably Gabi's biggest quality: bringing people together, connecting with people and generating a lot of uncertainty in the opponent,' Arteta explained. 'When you see him today, the amount of spaces he was involved in, that is his biggest quality. So we have to exploit that.'
While acknowledging that severe injuries have denied Jesus and the team the consistency needed from a key player, Arteta emphasised the intangible value he has regained. 'But he is back. I think his fight, his spirit, he has decided to prepare himself always in the best way. He is incredible and the team has it (his spirit) now and we have to use it.'
As Jesus stands on the brink of his 100th appearance for Arsenal, all eyes will be on whether Tuesday night at Selhurst Park marks the full resurgence of a player whose fighting spirit has been forged in one of the toughest years of his career.
