Mikel Arteta praised the performance of Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian forward scored and provided an assist in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Jesus, 28, secured his fourth goal of the Premier League campaign by slotting the ball through the legs of his former teammate Matt Turner from a tight angle.
He then delivered a precise pass to set up Bukayo Saka for his second goal in three games, sealing the win for Arsenal. Although Taiwo Awoniyi scored a late goal for the hosts, it proved to be only a consolation.
Despite ongoing discussions in the January transfer window regarding Arsenal’s need for reinforcements upfront, Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his No. 9, Gabriel Jesus, at the City Ground.
He said: “We really need him [Jesus] at his best. I had a great feeling before the game and I told him.
“He had some fluid in the knee and he was struggling. He was kicking every physio out there two days ago saying, ‘I want to be on that pitch’.
“He pushed everybody to be there and when someone has that attitude, that desire in this moment, something good is going to happen because of the ability and the quality to do it.
“He was magnificent today, I think.”
Mikel Arteta downplayed a heated full-time discussion between defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest.
The two players were seen exchanging words, particularly in response to Forest’s late goal, but Arteta expressed that the incident was not a cause for concern as the team secured the win. The manager seemingly sought to minimize any potential impact of the on-field disagreement, emphasizing the overall positive outcome of the match for Arsenal.
Arteta added: “That’s pushing each other and being not happy, conceding nothing. And I have to encourage that and promote it in the right way, in a respectful way.
“Sometimes after the game, it’s too emotional and too heated, but I love that the players are pushing each other and demanding excellence.
“Today we conceded a goal that is not at the level that we want.
“Now we’re going to have a massive game against Liverpool at the top of the table. And we’re going to have to be even better than today, for sure.”