Gabriel Jesus says Arsenal will approach Wednesday’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City 'like a final' with the club’s title hopes on the line.
Their breathless 3-3 draw with Southampton means the Gunners sit five points ahead of City having played two games more. A win would put them back in sole command again but a loss would hand the Blues the initiative.
City are still on for the treble after beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals before easing past Sheffield United in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final. They are the favourites to beat the Gunners on home soil next week, too. But former Etihad star Jesus insists that Arsenal’s run of three straight draws doesn’t change the picture.
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"Even if you don't drop the points we dropped in the last games, nothing changes - it's a final," he said of Wednesday's game. "Each game is a final, we have to face them like a final. This is the most important game of the season for us. We have to manage ourselves to come back and be focused again and strong, because anything can happen from now until the end of the season.”
Arsenal are winless in three matches having drawn against Liverpool and West Ham prior to Southampton. Jesus - who has nine goals and seven assists this season despite missing three months through injury - admitted that all three results have left a bitter taste in the mouth.
He added: "Like the last two games, it's two points dropped. With all respect to Southampton, they came to play the game of their lives because of the situation they're in now, and us too.
"This is the Premier League, it's so difficult to win this competition. We are not here to always give excuses but it's a tough league - there are some good games and tough games."
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