Gabriel Jesus could not hide his delight as he posed with the man of the match trophy and match ball after scoring a hat-trick in Arsenal's Carabao Cup win against Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian, who had scored just once all season before Wednesday night's clash at Emirates Stadium, showed his clinical side as he netted three against the Eagles to secure the Gunners' place in the last four. "I’m so pleased for him," Mikel Arteta said after the game.
"It’s been a long period for him without goals and today, to score three goals, the three types of goals that he scored - and the many actions he was involved in - he looked very sharp. I think it’s a great thing for him and the team that we can rely on a player of such quality. It’s the same with Kieran and other players who haven’t started many games and today they had the chance to do so."
With Kai Havertz struggling for goals in recent weeks, Jesus finding some form could be a real game-changer for Arsenal. "Yeah, he brings something," Arteta admitted.
"He has a quality, a way of creating and innovating situations that is quite unique. So Gabi at that level is a big asset for us."
Jesus certainly seemed happy with his performance and the striker took to social media after the match to share his delight. Posting a picture of himself celebrating one of his goals, Jesus wrote: "Toda Glória a Deus." This translates to: "All glory to God."
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Raheem Sterling were among those to comment on the post, with Jesus' teammates certainly showing their appreciation for the Brazilian. With a busy run of festive fixtures to come, all associated with Arsenal will now be hoping Jesus can keep scoring on a regular basis.
"It’s now about consistency," Arteta said. "Now this is a moment of spark that will bring so much confidence, not only to him, but to the team as well that we can rely on him to change games.
"Now we need to take it and give him more games and chances. We need to give him more chances because when a player is in that moment it’s important to continue that."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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