Gabriel Jesus knows he will be judged on goals, but suggested that he might have played better this season for Manchester City than his four-goal display on Saturday.
Jesus was unstoppable as he scored four goals against Watford and played a key role in assisting the other. He gave the perfect response to transfer reports that day suggesting he may seek to leave City in search of more playing time and opportunities upfront.
However, in an honest assessment of his own performances this season, Jesus remained grounded when asked about his chances of starting against Real Madrid in the Champions League this week.
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"Well sometimes you see the goals and you check the performances because of the goals but sometimes you don't score goals and play well but I am a striker, a forward," he said, dispelling the suggestion that City players are solely judged on their headline statistics.
"So it doesn't matter if I play good people is going to see the goals and the stats and then obviously the striker has to score goals or sometimes help with another action you know, running assists or pressing. In that game [the 2020 meetings with Real Madrid] I was good, I think not just because of the goals but I help [in other areas]. But now is another game. Every game is a different story. Now we are different, they are different. But it’s a semi-final, it’s different. Then was a last-16 so now it's different.
"The strikers have to score goals and I'm playing for a big club, the club who had Aguero before so everyone, the fans, the clubs expect goals, so yeah I try. When I play I try to score. When I play sometimes it doesn’t happen like it did this afternoon, when all the finishes go in but you know what, I try. I work for scoring goals. Sometimes it's not like this."
Reflecting on his own season, which has had plenty of highs and lows, Jesus admitted: "I started so confident, so happy you know. Everything in my life changed with the news that I am going to be a father, so I was so happy. And then I had an injury.
"So that, I think, was no good for me, for my mind. But after this I work I try to improve the things I have to do to improve. And then yeah, I know my quality. I know I can help in the game like everyone else here. So yeah, I try I think my challenge is please try to keep focused, keep the energy to help my team
"I had a very good moment in the beginning with the national team and then I dropped a little bit and I came back in the Copa America and then I dropped again. I tried to do my best. You know sometimes I think my power is like 'fight, run, fight'. I know I have a quality I can play in the front, I can play winger, but I know the difference between the Gabriel of this afternoon and the games in which I don’t score is when I don't arrive in the box.
"I know when I arrive in the box I have more chances to score goals to help with the goals. So that's the challenge for me."
And Jesus also admitted that he owes thanks for his penalty that sealed his hat-trick against Watford as designated taker Kevin De Bruyne allowed him the chance for his third goal.
"That's the football you know, I just want to say thank you," he said.
"I said before I said to him after, before and after the penalty to Kev because he's the taker, and he comes straight to me and says take it and get the hat trick. So years ago, when I scored two in the game, I tried to score a hat-trick. You know, I'm so happy to get my first hat trick in the Premier League. And I want to say thank you to him for letting me take the penalty."
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