Mikel Arteta backs Gabriel Jesus to relaunch Arsenal career after injury hell

Evening Standard

·16 August 2024

Mikel Arteta backs Gabriel Jesus to relaunch Arsenal career after injury hell

Brazil striker has enjoyed full pre-season for Gunners

Mikel Arteta has backed Gabriel Jesus to have a big impact for Arsenal this season after putting his injury hell behind him.

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Jesus suffered a knee injury on the eve of last season and was forced to undergo surgery.

The striker never fully recovered from the issue and it restricted him to starting under half of the Gunners’ Premier League games last season.

Jesus, however, has enjoyed a full pre-season this summer and he has looked sharp after being given the time to get fit.

The Brazilian will compete with Kai Havertz to lead the line for Arsenal this season and asked if he could have a big impact like the German did last year, Arteta said: “100 per cent.

“One of the biggest things in this sport is mental toughness. Kai showed an unbelievable one.

“And when you are surrounded by people who love you, wanting to put in everything that they can to help you and make you better, and people are little bit patient as well, and you see that that person is so willing after everything he’s doing.

“Gabi looks like he really wants it so that’s the best start.”

Arsenal are looking to win the title after narrowly missing out on it to Manchester City in each of the past two seasons.

Gabriel Jesus enjoyed a full pre-season for Arsenal

AP

Arteta believes there is a lot more to come from the current squad and he can also improve as a manager as well.

“Everything I do, I try to win. I try to do it at my best. I am happier afterwards, I feel fulfilled,” he said.

“If I am not able to do it, obviously I try to learn from it and apply things that will get me closer to doing that. That is the way I am.

“Obviously if you see no margins and you see: ‘Ok I cannot really squeeze the lemon, there is nothing there’ then maybe one day.

“But at the moment I don’t see it that way at all. And the first one is me.

“I think you can evolve a lot. If I see what I used to do, what I do, how I see certain things and deal with certain things, I have to improve a lot.”