![]() How Jesus did not end the afternoon with a hat-trick only he will know. ![]() Lurking at the back post for a corner, the ball seemed to be drawn to Jesus’s forehead like a magnet after Leicester’s defenders had failed to clear. It was the 25-year-old’s sixth goal against Leicester in eight matches and they did not have to wait long for the next. The moment all Arsenal supporters had been waiting for came soon afterwards, Jesus adjusted his feet brilliantly after receiving the ball inside the area, then curled a superb shot past Danny Ward via a small deflection. Jesus was at the heart of everything, just failing to convert a free-kick inside the first 10 minutes before Xhaka powered a header from Bukayo Saka’s cross against the post and Oleksandr Zinchenko ballooned the rebound over the bar. That plan almost paid dividends inside the opening three minutes when Aaron Ramsdale had to make a save to deny the marauding Wesley Fofana.Īfter that early wake-up call, Arsenal took control. Having blown a 2-0 lead in their opening game against Brentford last week, Brendan Rodgers also opted for an unchanged side and arranged his team in to a formation that was designed to soak pressure and hit Arsenal on the break. But, as if to underline the expectation surrounding his arrival from City, there was an extra loud roar reserved for Jesus. On a roasting day in north London, every Arsenal player had received an enthusiastic welcome before kick-off as Arteta picked the same side that started from the win over Crystal Palace last week. “That shows the connection and it was exactly the kind of support he needed.” “We know what Gabby can do – he is disappointed in that dressing room because he knows he could have scored more goals,” said a delighted Arteta, who also paid tribute to the home fans for sticking by Saliba after his own goal. Yet despite the disappointment of missing out on Champions League qualification in May, there is already evidence of his team’s progression following a busy summer in the transfer market that included the purchase of Jesus from Manchester City. It is certainly some contrast to the start of last season, when two defeats left Arsenal bottom of the Premier League table and Arteta facing serious questions about his future.
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