Mikel Arteta and Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus has claimed he would never knock on Mikel Arteta's door asking for more game time
Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus has claimed he would never ask Mikel Arteta for more game time as the Spaniard decides whether to play him this weekend following his hat-trick in the Carabao Cup.
The Brazilian notched a superb treble against Crystal Palace in Arsenal's 3-2 win over the Eagles in the quarter-final clash and now the Gunners are preparing to face Oliver Glasner's men once again in the Premier League on Saturday.
Jesus has become a peripheral figure under Arteta this season. He's only started twice in the Premier League and has had to settle for more minutes in the cup competitions.
The ex-Man City striker, who cost £50million when he joined in 2022, sent a big message to Arteta that he is ready for a more important role in the team with his brilliant hat-trick but the player himself insists he won't push his manager for more starts.
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"I have knocked on a manager’s door only one time in my life,’ Jesus said, as reported by Metro. "I knocked on Pep Guardiola’s door – not to complain but to ask him what I could improve. I would never go to Mikel’s door and say, 'I want to play'."
Jesus said his stats this season, which show he has scored four times in 21 appearances, don't reflect the difficulty of impressing with limited game time and claimed even if he scored more goals, there would be pressure for him to do more.
"A lot of people don’t watch the game," he added. "They just see the stats the day after and see who scored. People say, ‘Gabby played 20 games and scored once’. But they don’t see I am coming on for five or ten minutes.
Arsenal's Brazilian striker #09 Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium, in London, on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
The Brazilian sent a message to Arteta by scoring a hat-trick against Crystal Palace this week
"The pressure to score goals will always be there. I am the No 9 for Arsenal. Even if I score ten they will ask for 20 – and if it is 20 they ask for 30. This is the life."
The Gunners take on Palace again in the evening kick off looking to reduce the gap to Liverpool, who lie six points ahead of them as things stand. Arteta faces a big decision over whether to start Jesus following his heroics in midweek against the same opposition.
When asked what the reaction had been to Jesus' hattrick in the dressing room, he said: "Well [Jesus] was very happy. Everybody in the team was really happy especially because he helped the team to win the game and get through to the semi-finals, which is what we wanted.
"You can see that immediate reaction of him, a big smile on his face, big energy around him, and that’s what we need to have everybody in the highest level of performance. Gabby certainly had a big one on Wednesday."
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