LOS ANGELES, California — Mikel Arteta said Gabriel Jesus “has a spark in his eyes again” after scoring in Arsenal's pre-season friendly win over Manchester United in Los Angeles.
Arsenal recovered from Rasmus Højlund's 10th-minute opener to win 2-1 at SoFi Stadium thanks to goals from Jesus and substitute Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal then lost a scheduled penalty shoot-out with both Jakub Kiwior and Kai Havertz missing, but Arteta's side deserved their victory as United lost their way following injuries to Højlund and Leny Yoro in the first half.
Jesus scored just four times in 27 Premier League appearances last season as he lost his place in attack to Havertz, while injury problems also reduced the impact he could have, struggling with knee and hamstring issues.
But after a close-range finish was the highlight of an all-round encouraging performance, Arteta said of Jesus: “He looks very good. He looks very sharp. He's changed a lot of things over the summer.”
“He's back in top physical condition. And when you have that base, you can build other things, but without that base you don't have a player. He needs to be in that condition to get the best out of himself. He's realised that. And I'm very happy with what he's shown again today.”
“[What has he done?] “It's a question for him, but I know it. It's a fact and it shows. His appearance, his pace, his sharpness, his way of moving. And you can also see in his eyes that there's a spark again because now he has something to prove and that's good.”
Arsenal have been repeatedly linked with a potential signing of a new striker this summer and are weighing up their options after their first choice, Benjamin Sesko, opted to sign a new contract to stay at RB Leipzig.
Asked if Jesus could use that speculation as motivation, Arteta said: “I think the motivation has to come from himself, with his self-demands and how much better he is capable of making the team.
“He's proven it. He's transformed the energy and confidence of that team and he's done it. If he's waiting for something external to motivate him, I think it's going to be for a very short period of time. If it's something internal that's happening, that's going to last a long time and it's going to be ongoing. Hopefully that's the case.”
