Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appeared to disagree with Gabriel Jesus over the severity of his hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League on Tuesday. The forward scored the all-important goal against Sevilla on the night but a spell on the sidelines could await the No 9.
Arsenal claimed the top spot in Group B with an impressive away win over their Spanish rivals, capitalising on Lens’ 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven to take control. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Arteta’s side on the cusp of half-time, coolly rounding the Sevilla goalkeeper Orhan Nyland and tapping into an empty net following a swift counter-attack.
Jesus then doubled Arsenal’s lead in the 53rd minute when curling a sensational effort into the top corner, with Nemanja Gudelj halving the deficit moments later when heading home from a corner. There were plenty of positives for Arteta to take away from the performance.
However, Jesus asking to be substituted in the 81st minute and leaving the pitch clutching his hamstring was also a significant negative for the Spanish boss at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuann Stadium. Speaking about the injury, Arteta explained: “He felt something in his hamstring.
“He straight away asked to be subbed, which is not good news, because he’s not the kind of player who does that. So we’ll have to wait and see in the next few days.”
Despite Arteta’s fears, Jesus revealed to TNT Sports that he did not think that the injury was significant and that he felt that he may not even feel the problem after 24 hours. The ex-Manchester City star said: “’I felt something. Let’s see. I did some tests with the physio, it looks not that big, but let’s see. I have a scan, maybe tomorrow. I’m pretty sure it will be nothing.”
Arsenal are expected to be in the market for another striker in the January transfer window, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney linked, but Jesus has showcased what he brings to the table in recent weeks. The 26-year-old led the line well against Sevilla, with his impressive goal being his reward for an eye-catching performance.
Arteta praised Jesus for his display at full-time, saying: “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.”
