Mikel Arteta must now do one thing to save Gabriel Jesus’ Arsenal career

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Gabriel Jesus’ reputation at Arsenal is currently at an all-time low. 

The Brazilian striker has been in abysmal form for a long time. He has not scored in the Premier League since January, and has only netted once in any competition since then, when he grabbed a goal against Preston North End in the EFL Cup back in October.

Gabriel Jesus has come under fire from Arsenal fans, and he once again failed to deliver for the Gunners when called upon from the bench against Fulham last time out.

When the 27-year-old arrived at the Emirates Stadium, in the summer of 2022, he had a positive impact immediately. The former Manchester City man seemed to flourish in Mikel Arteta’s system, but he has been a shadow of the player he was then since picking up an injury during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

• READ MORE: Everything to know on Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus from his height to girlfriend

How Mikel Arteta can get Gabriel Jesus back to his best

Arsenal have been urged to give up on Jesus and seek a buyer for the forward. Finding a viable suitor for the player could prove easier said than done, though, given his form and injury history. 

In any case, Arteta is not ready to cut Jesus loose yet. The Spanish coach has insisted that he remains in his plans. 

In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League clash with Monaco, Arteta dismissed transfer rumours concerning Jesus as “nonsense.”

However, if Jesus is to make a contribution for the club going forward, he needs minutes on the pitch. Arteta must now back up his words with actions, and hand the attacker a starting role against Monaco.

Jesus needs to feel that faith in him in order to restore his confidence, and must be afforded meaningful game time in order to stand any chance of playing his way back to his best form. Late cameos from the bench will not help him at this stage.

Does Jesus have a future at Arsenal?

Despite Arteta’s insistence to the contrary, it is hard to see Jesus having a long-term role to play for Arsenal. 

He is a player on large wages who has not contributed anywhere near what should be expected from him for a long time.

Arteta is unlikely to publicly declare Jesus as being surplus to requirements for fear of damaging his confidence further and dragging down his remaining market value. However, in all likelihood, that is probably what the manager really thinks of the player at this point.