Mikel Arteta says Arsenal star is ‘completely different player’ this season
Mikel Arteta reserved special praise for Gabriel Jesus after Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace and claimed the forward returned a ‘completely different player’ in the summer.
Just three days on from their Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Palace, Arsenal once again got the better of their London rivals – and in some style, too.
An inspired Jesus picked up where he left off after his midweek hat-trick heroics, hitting the back of the net either side of Ismaila Sarr’s sublime strike in a frantic opening 15 minutes at Selhurst Park.
Kai Havertz gave Arsenal a two-goal buffer before the halfway stage and goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice put the game to bed in the second period.
The result saw the Gunners leapfrog Nottingham Forest into third place in the Premier League table and Arteta was understandably delighted with Jesus’ return to form in front of goal.
‘It has to be [a turning point],’ the Arsenal head coach told reporters of Jesus’ display at his post-mach press conference.
‘We now have to push him and let him go and be behind him because he’s had some difficult moments and, as a striker, it’s not easy because you get a lot of the spotlight.
‘But credit to him and his work ethic. The way he came back in the summer, he was a completely different player and now he’s getting the reward. Sometimes it takes time.’
