Gabriel Jesus ‘back at his best’ with Arsenal treble in League Cup
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Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus shoots the ball past Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson for the third goal in the 3-2 League Cup win at the Emirates.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – Mikel Arteta claimed that Gabriel Jesus was “back at his best” after the Brazilian striker fired Arsenal into the League Cup semi-finals with a hat-trick in the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Dec 18.
The Gunners suffered an early shock in the quarter-final at the Emirates when Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Palace a fourth-minute lead. But Jesus ensured Arteta’s men remain in contention to win the League Cup for the first time since 1993, as he delivered a clinical 27-minute second-half treble.
Jesus started the game with only two goals in 2024 and just one in 20 previous appearances this season, sparking suggestions he could be sold when the transfer window opens on Jan 1.
“I wear the No. 9 for Arsenal, so I have to be scoring goals, Kai Havertz as well. We are the strikers of the team and have a pressure to score,” he admitted after his hat-trick.
“If you want to challenge for a place, we have to keep scoring. It is not easy, if it was, then there would be many strikers in the world, but we keep trying.”
The 27-year-old equalised in the 54th minute, when captain Martin Odegaard sent a beautiful through ball into the box and the Brazilian chipped over Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
He netted his second in the 73rd minute, when Bukayo Saka slipped the ball through for him to hammer home.
Jesus completed his hat-trick eight minutes later, when he ran on to a ball from Odegaard behind Palace’s backline before firing past Henderson. Former Gunner Eddie Nketiah pulled one back for Palace late on, when he leapt high to head home past David Raya.
Arteta had publicly backed Jesus and the player has now repaid his manager’s faith with a predatory performance that could breathe new life into his career.
“I’m so pleased for him. It’s been a long period without goals and today, to score three goals, the three types of goals that he scored – and the many actions he was involved in – he looked very sharp,” the Arsenal boss said.
“It’s a great thing for him and the team that we can rely on a player of such quality. Gabi at that level is a big asset for us. It is a big message for the team that we have Gabi back at his best. It’s now about consistency.”
Palace manager Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, said his team played with “too much respect” for Arsenal. “We were a little bit too cautious. Especially in possession,” said the Austrian.
“We need a performance of our top level and it was not a performance at our top level. It was positive that we scored two goals, but at the end, it is a little bit frustrating because if you score two at the Emirates, then it should have been a penalty shoot-out, at least.”
The teams meet again in the Premier League on Dec 21 at Selhurst Park. AFP, REUTERS
