December 18 marks a year since Gabriel Jesus last scored at the Emirates Stadium. However, in the League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace, the Brazilian striker made a strong impression with a hat-trick, helping The Gunners to a dramatic 3-2 victory.
This is not only an important victory for Arsenal to advance to the semi-finals but also a clear message about the strong return of Jesus, one of the factors considered key under Mikel Arteta but has not yet shown his full talent.
Before the match, Arsenal were in a slump with two consecutive draws in the Premier League against Fulham and Everton. Despite having the superior ball possession rate, Mikel Arteta's team lacked sharpness in attack, leading to unsatisfactory results.
In the early stages of the match against Crystal Palace, Arsenal continued to struggle with a crowded defence and a tight game from the visitors. Jakub Kiwior even made a mistake that allowed Jean-Philippe Mateta to open the scoring in the 4th minute. However, the turning point came in the second half, when Gabriel Jesus proved his worth.
The 27-year-old striker scored three goals with three different finishes. The first was a delicate chip over goalkeeper Dean Henderson, the second was a decisive cross-angle shot and finally a calm finish after a half-court run. These goals not only boosted the Brazilian striker's confidence but also provided a strong motivation for the whole team.
“I am very happy for Gabi. It has been a long time since he scored a goal. The three goals against Crystal Palace and the contribution he made in the game made him look sharp. He is a high-quality player, the way he creates and plays the ball. Gabi's quality is a great asset for Arsenal,” said Mikel Arteta.
The Spanish tactician has a good reason to praise Gabriel Jesus’ versatile scoring ability. In previous stalemates, the Gunners often lacked a player who could make runs behind the opposition defence. This made Arsenal’s attacks depend on crosses or breakthroughs from the two wingers.
Notably, one of the key factors that helped Arsenal beat Crystal Palace in the second half was Mikel Arteta's tactical changes. Kieran Tierney was used as a classic full-back, not in the reverse position as before. This allowed the Scottish star to take advantage of his speed and mobility to participate in supporting attacks more effectively.
The combination of Tierney and Trossard, who dropped deep to create space on the left flank, created a breakthrough in Arsenal's play. It was from these situations that the "Gunners" not only stretched the Palace defense but also helped Martin Odegaard develop his ability to create with delicate passes like the one that led to Jesus' equalizer.
In the first half, the central area was often blocked by a large number of Crystal Palace players. However, after the adjustment, Arsenal played more directly, using many reverse passes to central players such as Trossard and Saka. This was a factor that helped the Emirates team regain flexibility and effectiveness in attack.
The win over Crystal Palace was not only a chance for Gabriel Jesus to regain his confidence but also an important stepping stone for Arsenal ahead of the upcoming challenges. The team will need to maintain this momentum to avoid falling into a situation like the match against Nottingham Forest in January, when Jesus scored the decisive goal but then failed to score for months.
