Arsenal are preparing to battle Manchester City for the Premier League crown again and Rio Ferdinand believes Gabriel Jesus' title-winning nous could prove invaluable
Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal looks on prior to the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on December 23, 2025 in London, England
Rio Ferdinand says Gabriel Jesus has a big role to play for Arsenal during the title run-in(Image: 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
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Rio Ferdinand believes Gabriel Jesus will be a critical figure off the pitch for Arsenal in the coming months as one of the few players in Mikel Arteta's squad with title-winning experience.
The Gunners are four points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit but dropped points against Brentford last week. They have not win a domestic title for over 20 years and, crucially, have been pipped to the post by Pep Guardiola and Co in two of the last three seasons.
City have form for coming alive in the championship rounds of the title race and their presence behind Arsenal has prompted talk of nerves among the Londoners.
But Ferdinand, speaking in his latest Rio Ferdinand Presents video, believes Jesus could be an invaluable source of wisdom in the Arsenal dressing room given the pedigree he has after winning four titles during his City days.
The former Manchester United defender theorised: “If I take myself back to the moment of being in the changing room during a title challenge, it’s a decent result against a hard team to play against. Forget the name or the status of the club, each season teams become a different version of what we knew them as Brentford is a hard place to go this season.
“I would have been in the Arsenal changing room and saying, 'Boys, it’s a point away from home, we move on'. As much as fans might get emotional, the players can’t do that.
Arsenal's Brazilian striker #09 Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring the team's fourth goal during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic
Ferdinand has backed Jesus to play a crucial role off the pitch for Arsenal(Image: Getty)
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“The biggest point will be, what was the conversation and the reaction like after that result? Was it a feeling of, 'Guys, we’re letting it slip, we’ve been here before' and a bit of fear creeping in or did a few of the players rally around the troops and remind the group that they are going to drop points, and it’s about how you react.
“Who is having those conversations? That’s where experience comes in and that’s where Gabriel Jesus might be critical right now because he’s one of the only ones in that dressing room who has won something.
“The players are going to be looking for answers and guidance.”
Jesus won the Premier League four times during his time at Manchester City
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Jesus has been sidelined for the majority of the 2025-26 campaign after undergoing knee surgery but has looked sharp upon his return to the team, though summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has established himself as Arsenal's first-choice striker.
Arsenal start a seismic double-header with a visit to bottom club Wolves on Wednesday night before facing Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.
Wolves have won just once all season and look destined to drop into the Championship - but Jesus isn't taking them lightly. “We are not thinking about the derby. We are only thinking about Wolves on Wednesday and that is a tough game away, he said.
“We know the situation they are in but is an amazing team, an amazing club and we are aware they need points to get out of the their situation.
“So, our focus is to go to Wolves, get the three points and that is it.”
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