Gabriel Jesus joining Arsenal changed the club’s trajectory under Mikel Arteta in 2022.
The Gunners had missed out on Champions League football just a few months before and were ridiculed by many in the media.
However, since Jesus set foot at the club, they have challenged for the Premier League title in every single season.
The Brazilian believed in that from the first day, but some of his teammates thought he was crazy.
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Arsenal players told Gabriel Jesus he joined the ‘wrong club’ after he made a title claim
When Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus in 2022, the mood around the club changed.
The Brazilian looked very good in pre-season and had a phenomenal start to the campaign. Many felt at the time that he was going to be a superstar for the Gunners.
Jesus, personally, hasn’t had the kind of career that he would’ve liked at Arsenal so far, but he realised this side’s potential very early.
Right after pre-season in 2022, the former Manchester City man went to his teammates and told them that they could win the Premier League title that season.
The response he received, however, was bizarre.
He told The Athletic: “A few of them laughed. They said, ‘Ah, maybe you signed for the wrong club.'”
That shows how different the mentality was back then, but Jesus was having none of that. He stood by his claim.
“I asked them why. With the quality in our team, why couldn’t we go and win the league?” he said.
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Gabriel Jesus changed the game for Arsenal and deserves more credit
Jesus is among the most criticised players at Arsenal because he failed to solve the striker problem at the club.
The forward’s numbers in the famous red and white read 31 goals in 116 games, which is nowhere near good enough for a number nine.
However, what Jesus did, along with Oleksandr Zinchenko, was change the club’s mentality and made everyone believe they could compete for the title.
Since then, Arsenal have consistently been contenders to win the English crown, and this finally looks like the season in which they will get over the line.
If it happens, Zinchenko won’t get a medal, which is a shame, but Jesus will. He would deserve it more than most.
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