"He’s come back in top condition again" - Mikel Arteta praises 'sharp' Arsenal star after 2-1 win over Manchester United
Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on forward Gabriel Jesus after Arsenal bagged a victory against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 27. The clash ended in a 2-1 win for the Gunners at SoFi Stadium, in California.
The Red Devils opened their scoring with Danish forward Rasmus Højlund's goal from an assist by Marcus Rashford just 10 minutes into the match. Gabriel Jesus netted the equalizer for Arsenal through an assist by Ethan Nwaneri in the 26th minute.
After the first half ended 1-1, Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal for Arsenal from an assist by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 81st minute.
The equalizer by Gabriel Jesus marked his first goal since he scored against Nottingham Forest in January. The 27-year-old had an injury-ridden second half of the season.
While speaking to the press after the win against Manchester United, head coach Mikel Arteta praised the Brazillian forward, saying (via GOAL):
"He [Jesus] looks really good, he looks really sharp. He’s changed a lot of things over the summer and he’s come back in top condition again. When you have that baseline, other things can be built but without that foundation, we don’t have a player and he needs to be in that condition to get the best out of him.
"He’s realised that and I’m really happy with what he’s shown today again. You can see by the way he looks, the way he’s moving and you can see in his eyes that there’s a spark there," added Mikel Arteta.
Gabriel Jesus has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates in this summer transfer window. Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli have reportedly shown interest in signing him. The Brazillian's contract with Arsenal is valid until June 30, 2027.
Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Martinelli after Arsenal's 2-1 win over Manchester United
Following the victory against Manchester United in the pre-season clash, Mikel Arteta also shared his opinion on Gabriel Martinelli's performance in the match. The head coach was impressed with the 23-year-old, referring to him as "prepared" (h/t football.london):
"That's the mentality of the team and the individuals. One training session and he comes in and plays at that level. That means he's not coming here to get prepared, he's come prepared to show how prepared he is, and that's a very a different approach. I loved it."
Arsenal are pitted against Liverpool in their next pre-season friendly clash on July 31, at Lincoln Financial Field in Pennsylvania.