Mikel Arteta sets Gabriel Jesus clear challenge after Arsenal hat-trick vs Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta has urged Gabriel Jesus to show consistency after the Arsenal striker scored a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace.
The Gunners progressed into the last four of the competition after beating Palace 3-2 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. Jesus, who had scored just once this season heading into the fixture, fired a treble in the second period with substitutes Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka both central to his haul.
Arteta admitted he was delighted for the Brazilian and hopes the hat-trick can kick-start the former Manchester City man's season. Speaking to reporters after the game, Arteta said: "I’m so pleased for him. It’s been a long period for him without goals and today, to score three goals, the three types of goals that he scored - and the many actions he was involved in - he looked very sharp.
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"I think it’s a great thing for him and the team that we can rely on a player of such quality. It’s the same with Kieran [Tierney] and other players who haven’t started many games and today they had the chance to do so."
The Spaniard added: "It’s now about consistency. Now this is a moment of spark that will bring so much confidence, not only to him, but to the team as well that we can rely on him to change games.
"Now we need to take it and give him more games and chances. We need to give him more chances because when a player is in that moment it’s important to continue that."
Jesus is no longer a guaranteed started, with Kai Havertz the preferred option up front this season. Havertz has not been in the best goalscoring form lately, though, so does Jesus have a chance of starting against Palace on Saturday in the Premier League given his three goals on Wednesday?
"Let’s enjoy tonight and then start to think," Arteta said. "It’s good that we have players knocking on the door and are telling the team I deserve to be there. So it’s a good problem to have."
