‘He really wants it’ – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta senses 'different energy' in Gabriel Jesus ahead of new season
By James Hilsum
Published 08/08/2024 at 09:00 GMT+1
Mikel Arteta has been delighted with the progress of Gabriel Jesus this summer after what was a frustrating campaign for the Brazilian in 2023-24. Arteta is hoping that the likes of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard can help to bring the best out of Jesus in the new season. The Brazilian was on the scoresheet in a 4-1 pre-season win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates.
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Video credit: SNTV
Mikel Arteta believes Gabriel Jesus is showing a renewed sense of hunger heading into the new Premier League season, after scoring in Arsenal’s 4-1 pre-season friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The 27-year-old scored eight goals in 36 appearances across all competitions last season in a campaign blighted by injuries.
He netted Arsenal’s third goal against the reigning Bundesliga champions on Wednesday night, and Arteta praised the striker’s sharpness.
"As I said from day one, the first feeling when I saw him after talking to him at the end of the season, it was something different,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference.
“I could sense it. His energy was different, the way he looks is different, the way he's moving is different and he really wants it.
“Now it's a question of finding the consistency and doing it consistently and doing it in any context, any situation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 70 minutes. OK – what are you able to produce in those circumstances? But he looks good."
Arteta feels that both Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard can help to bring out the best in Jesus, and is looking forward to seeing how the trio combine in the new season.
“It's something that you can see coming. It's natural and it flows. There is good chemistry between them and Leo too, because those three all have that false nine profile. I really liked what I saw today,” he added.
“You have to be very sensitive to read the information the players are giving you. Not only individually, but the chemistry within the units, how things flow on one side or the other. It's telling something that we can still develop, especially on our left side.
“Those combinations are giving us options and they are all really, really good players so the competition is quite big there.”
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The Spaniard also gave an update on Jurrien Timber’s fitness and how Riccardo Calafiori is settling in after his big-money summer move from Bologna.
“With Jurrien, he had a little discomfort in his foot for the last few days,” he explained. “After the amount of time he has been out, we did not want to take any risks with him.
“With regards to Riccardo, so much has happened to him in one week. He has come into a new environment, a completely different methodology, different training and we are managing him.
"We want to do it slowly, to get him in the best possible way. Hopefully on Sunday he will be available to play some minutes.”
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