(Reuters) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Gabriel Jesus after the forward led the north London side to a 2-1 Champions League victory over Sevilla on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Brazil international scored a goal and provided an assist to compatriot Gabriel Martinelli, taking Arsenal to the top of Group B at the midway point of the pool stage.
Jesus, who has now netted 23 times in 41 appearances in Europe’s elite club competition, joined Arsenal after five seasons at fellow Premier League side Manchester City in July last year.
When asked if Jesus’ goalscoring record in the Champions League was one of the reasons why Arsenal signed him, Arteta, who served as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at City from 2016-2019, said: “For sure – he’s been through a lot in the last few years and he’s still really young.
“He has enormous experiences, and some of them, while not the nicest, they’ve been necessary to (shape) the player he is today. I’m really happy to have him in the team.
“He came here for a reason; he changed our world. He’s brought so much belief and energy to the team, and he needs to step into those moments. That’s why he played, and he’s done that.
“That’s when a player becomes accountable to the team, and the team relies on those players to win games. We need players like this.”
Arsenal next host Sheffield United on Saturday in the top-flight before switching their focus to the League Cup on Nov. 1, when they visit West Ham United in the fourth round.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by Miral Fahmy)
-TheStar