Arsenal defeated a stubborn Crystal Palace side by a 3-2 margin to earn a berth in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The Gunners had Gabriel Jesus to thank as the Brazilian’s hat-trick proved to be the difference in a tightly contested match between two quality sides from London.
Jesus has not played as many minutes as he would have liked this season but a terrific performance led to him receiving the plaudits from the fans after the game, while Mikel Arteta also heaped praise on him by describing as a ‘big asset’. The Arsenal boss was quoted saying (via Mirror),
“I’m so pleased for him (Jesus). It’s been a long period for him without goals and today, to score three goals, 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. He brings something. 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.”
Apart from his goals, which were some neat finishes, Jesus had a decent overall performance. He received a 9 out of 10 rating on The Standard. As per data from Fotmob, he had a 100% shot accuracy on target, completed 87% of his passes and had 10 touches in the opponent’s box, all of which were capped off by a memorable hat-trick.
Big few months incoming for Jesus
Gabriel Jesus showed what he is capable of with his performance versus Crystal Palace. The former Manchester City star has been ineffective in the Premier League for much of his Arsenal career although he will hope that his most recent display was a sign of good things to come, especially with his time at the Emirates Stadium on the line.
Jesus’ displays in the second half of the campaign would not only determine the course of the Gunners’ campaign but prove pivotal in deciding what status he enjoys at the club, as in whether he is still sold next summer to make way for a fresh face, or whether Mikel Arteta is prepared to give him some more time to prove his credentials.
As such, the 27-year-old still has only four goals in all competitions this season with none in the Champions League or Premier League, so there is still a long way to go for Jesus if he were to re-enter the manager’s plans for the longer run.