Gabriel Jesus' cameo against Club Brugge sent a clear message on his return and Arsenal might have found the difference-maker in the title race as Mikel Arteta must get more from Viktor Gyokeres
09:00, 11 Dec 2025Updated 09:29, 11 Dec 2025
Gabriel Jesus impressed upon his return from injury for Arsenal in the Champions League win over Club Brugge
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Gabriel Jesus impressed upon his return from injury for Arsenal in the Champions League win over Club Brugge(Image: Franco Arland/Getty Images)
It is always advisable not to overreact to little cameos when data spread over a longer period gives us much more reliability and accuracy. That said, for Arsenal in their win over Club Brugge, I couldn’t help but get excited.
The goals were great, the night was near-perfect for Mikel Arteta, and we even saw a new debutant given some minutes. However, the headline story for me was the return and the cameo of Gabriel Jesus.
Now, I already get the sense that discussing and, dare I say, being somewhat critical of Viktor Gyokeres is not for all, so if perhaps you’re a little weak of spirit when it comes to a conversation of such ilk, you’ve been warned.
It’s important to point out that, beyond anything, I desperately want Gyokeres to be a successful signing and start scoring at the rate he was for Sporting CP. It’s also important context that the Swede is returning from an injury and was showing some real positive signs before the muscular problem at Burnley.
That said, when Jesus came on what I saw was what I think this Arsenal team needs at the tip of the spear. The ironic thing is Arsenal aren’t a side that needs a tip, and instead they’re more a side akin to that of a trident.
Multiple points of attack, with the central figure helping make the front three equally as threatening. To continue this legendary weaponry analogy, our Poseidon here, Mikel Arteta, could not have been beaming more with joy when asked about the Brazilian in the post-match press conference.
“So happy for him,” he said. “I think you can see how much we all love him. It's been a very, very difficult and long journey.
“For 11 months, he's been fighting against another very difficult injury, and to see him back with that smile, with that energy and with that quality in his first performance with us is something really impressive, and we're all delighted for him.”
Before Jesus got the injury in the FA Cup with Manchester United, he was looking frighteningly good and in the best form since he first arrived at the club in 2022.
Arteta believes that the Brazilian can rediscover that form as long as he simply does what he was showing in this game and off the matchday field as well.
“Yes,” he replied with some extra oomph. “Especially if he continues to perform in the manner that he's doing and the energy that he's putting in training. I think he brings something else, and I was really happy to see that.
“And for him as well, for his confidence to grow, for his teammates to feel him as well, because some of them haven't played with him. So Gabi has a really special quality, which is that suddenly he connects everybody around him, and that's something that we as a team need, and it will make us better.”
Arteta wields such depth in his squad and with it hoped Kai Havertz is not too far away, the idea is these returning forwards will transform the Gunners’ fortunes. But it leaves me still with some concern about Viktor Gyokeres.
I mentioned earlier how this appears to be already a sensitive topic for many, and I do empathise with the reasons why. I found serious pushback when, for what I think was the first time publicly, I made any suggestion that the striker was struggling and then subsequently outshone by Jesus.
There are several areas that need to improve and, again, it could be the return from injury and the factors of who his teammates were for this specific match, which made them stand out so much. Although they are concerns that have been present throughout the season.
The hold-up play needs to reach a higher level. For a player with such presence, he has been going to ground too easily. He cannot be accused of not working hard enough, but application alone isn’t going to take his contributions to where they need to be.
The argument is often that he doesn’t get enough service, but the best create space for themselves, put themselves into better positions to receive the ball. Jesus getting more touches than his strike counterpart in around half the time on the field is not just because of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri entering the field. It influenced it, but it wasn’t the main catalyst; Jesus was.
Thierry Henry famously spoke about what it was that took him to another level regarding service, runs and consideration for the players around him.
“He made me realise, ‘Stop asking yourself the wrong question and ask yourself the right question’,” he said in 2020 with an interview with the Mail.
“You need to analyse who you are playing with. Can Dennis Bergkamp play you the ball? Can Freddie Ljungberg? Dennis could, he could find me anywhere, Freddie couldn’t, he was a different type of player.
“I started to think of the game backwards. I realised, ‘Oh, hold on, it is my fault, it is my responsibility, don’t make the same run if Freddie has the ball’.
“I need to make my players realise the same, make them think differently and take responsibility. You’d be amazed how many players don’t actually talk before they go on the field. You need to know each other — talk!”
The bar is high for Gyokeres with this, for some, perceived harsh scrutiny, because of the situation in which he has joined the club. This is the year Arsenal must win and there is little time for adaptation.
Arsenal and Arteta need impact, goals, quality and improvement now. Could it be that this festive period is again another great time for Jesus to take the Gunners’ wishes to new heights as he rejoins a side currently considered Europe's best?
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