“I’m not hiding it any more, don’t expect goals from me because…..”- Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus sends blunt message to Mikel Arteta
“I’m not hiding it any more, don’t expect goals from me because…..”- Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus sends blunt message to Mikel Arteta
‘I’ve made it very clear’ – Gabriel Jesus sends Arsenal message to Mikel Arteta
Gabriel Jesus has started only five games this season, with two of those coming in the League Cup, and the Arsenal striker has now sent a message to his boss
Gabriel Jesus has admitted his frustration at the limited game time he has been afforded by Mikel Arteta this season and has suggested other teammates feel the same.
The striker has started just one Premier League match so far, playing just 39 minutes in the competition in the past month. He has featured for the entirety of both League Cup wins and began two Champions League ties but was benched for Wednesday’s visit to Inter Milan.
He came during half-time at the San Siro but could not prevent Arsenal recording a second successive defeat. The Gunners have failed to score in half of their past six matches.
Jesus’ only goal and assist of the season so far came against Preston North End in last week’s 3-0 League Cup win. The 27-year-old has recorded 480 minutes across all competitions this term – equivalent to five full games and 30 minutes – with Arsenal playing 16 matches in total.
While insisting he would not create any internal issues, Jesus has not shied away from the fact that he is eager for more minutes, which he will hope come in Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil after the defeat to Inter, Jesus confessed: “I believe that not only me, but any player, all players, want to have more minutes. I’m obviously never going to cause anything in the club.
“I’m going to try to demonstrate on a daily basis, in training, and when I get into the games, have my chance, and do my thing and trust that things will happen.
“I’ve always made it very clear that I want to improve, that I want to try to do my best and help Arsenal. Obviously, my moment is not the best, it’s not the moment I wanted, that I would like.
“But as I said, I’m working on my own, trying to do my best, and get more minutes to play, but that’s a consequence of my training, it’s a consequence of the way I get in and leave the decision to the coach.
“I believe in my potential, and I also know that the fight for my place in Arsenal is big, but I also believe that I can help a lot.”
Jorginho, Raheem Sterling, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all received fewer minutes than Jesus this season, as have recent academy graduates Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly.
Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard have also been given less time on the pitch due to their respective injury lay-offs this season.
