Gabriel Jesus enjoyed a dream night at the San Siro, firing [Arsenal to a 3–1 win over Inter Milan](https://arseblog.news/2026/01/report-inter-1-3-arsenal-inc-goals/) that secured a top-two finish in the Champions League with a game to spare.
Beaten by Inter at the same venue last season, Mikel Arteta’s side wasted little time in making a statement. Arsenal burst out of the blocks, Jesus epitomising their sharpness with a predatory finish to open the scoring. Petar Sucic briefly hauled the hosts level with a fine curling effort, but the Gunners regained control before the break as Jesus struck again, heading home on the goal line following another meticulously worked corner routine.
Inter remained a threat on the counter in the first half, but Arsenal’s control grew after the interval. The visitors tightened up defensively while continuing to create chances of their own, and the points were sealed late on when substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres combined in devastating fashion. Martinelli slid a perfectly weighted pass into the Swede’s path, and Gyokeres did the rest, curling home to cap a commanding European performance.
“It’s a dream night,” Jesus told _Amazon Prime Video Sport_ at full-time.
“I always dream to be a footballer, you know. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of Serie A and Italian football. So to be here, in this stadium, I have played here two times already, and then to score here is just like tears on my eyes, because I always dreamed to be here. So yeah, it’s all the glory for Jesus.”
On the team’s performance, he added: “The game is always difficult to play against Inter Milan. Last season, we went here and then we lost. We had a difficult game like tonight, but tonight we played better than them. We controlled them. Obviously, they are a top team, they have a lot of top players, and then they attack, they are playing home.
“But at the end, we score, and then we got the three points, the chances, and then that’s it. It’s an amazing feeling now, but we have to keep going because we have another one in the weekend.”
Asked whether this was the kind of occasion he visualised during his long spell out recovering from ACL surgery, the striker continued: “For sure, like I said before, there’s always a reason to have mistakes, you know, even when it’s good things or when it’s problems or difficult times.
“I learned that in my 11 months out on the pitch, and then yeah, like I said, without Jesus, for sure, I’d not be here.”
In a clear sign of the camaraderie within the squad, Jesus was also quick to highlight Gyokeres’ impact from the bench. Having backed the Swede to come good in his pre-match press conference, he was visibly delighted to see him deliver when it mattered.
“I was so happy that Vik came on and scored a goal because a striker without a goal is always difficult. I have been fighting with this all my career, but still, I’m so happy that I scored, Vik scored, and then I’m 100% sure when Kai \[Havertz\] has the chance, he will score and help us as well.”
From the touchline, Arteta cut a composed but satisfied figure, watching his side navigate one of Europe’s most intimidating venues with maturity and control. The manager was understandably effusive in his praise for Jesus, whose performance set the tone for the night.
“He’s an unbelievable player. The bigger the game is, the more comfortable he plays. I’m so happy for him, I think he deserves the Man of the Match award. Not only for the goals, but for all the work that he’s done.”
There was also recognition for Gyokeres, a player Arteta has repeatedly defended amid scrutiny since his move from Sporting Lisbon. On the significance of the Swede’s late strike, he said:
“Very important. For him again, it’s the second away game that he’s done really well. Now he’s finding some consistency, he brings something very special to the team, that’s some finish. I’m very happy for him as well.”
More broadly, the result served as another marker of Arsenal’s depth and resilience as they continue to juggle commitments on multiple fronts. Arteta was keen to underline the collective effort behind the victory.
“It doesn’t matter who we play, that they are ready and they have performed. We have to trust all the players because we made six or seven changes today and still we performed at the highest level.
“We have another game in four days and we had a game two days ago. We’re going to need everybody to achieve what we want.”
On a night when they could have been forgiven for easing off, Arsenal instead doubled down, delivering a performance that underlines their European credentials and sends a clear message ahead of the knockout stages.