Gabriel Jesus may have gone 12 games without a goal for club and country, but the Arsenal striker's confidence can't be shaken.
Following his £45million transfer from Manchester City in the summer, the 25-year-old's impact with his new club has been highlighted by supporters and the media alike. Whilst the Brazilian is widely credited for transforming the Gunners' attack and establishing Mikel Arteta's side as genuine Premier League title contenders this season, he does have his critics.
The main criticism is his lack of goals. Now, never quite renowned for being a prolific scorer under Pep Guardiola, Jesus showed signs of evolution upon joining Arsenal as he netted seven in five pre-season outings and then five times in his first eight Premier League appearances.
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However, after marking his first taste of a North London Derby with a goal in the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, he's not been able to find the net since, a run that extends to 10 games across all competitions. Although it should be pointed out that he didn't start all of those fixtures.
Fortunately for the Gunners, this hasn't resulted in a dip in overall performance from Jesus. He played a vital role in the 1-0 win at Chelsea and was heavily praised by Arteta after having a hand in three goals during the 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest last month.
"If he makes three assists in a game, I don’t think he has to make any adjustments!" the Arsenal manager said. "I would be really happy if he were to do that every game."
Prior to the World Cup break, on social media, there was a statistical graphic circulating which revealed that Jesus was leading the list of missed big chances across Europe's top five leagues, keeping company with Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Tammy Abraham, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David.
If the Gunners are to maintain their Premier League title push during the second half of the season, a lot will almost certainly depend on Jesus developing a ruthless streak when presented with a chance. And when speaking after failing to break his drought in two appearances for Brazil at the World Cup, the striker issued a promise to delight supporters for club and country.
"No, I don't think so," Jesus replied when asked whether finishing is a problem for him, as per Apostagolos. "We can talk about finishing, but the most appropriate thing is to talk about the chances I had. It's different football here and at Arsenal. Even though I had a few chances and I lost, I'm sure it's not about submitting.
"I started the season so well and nobody was asking about it. But it's not a problem. I'll kick the ball into the net soon and I won't stop again. Of course I'm the player who should score every now and then, I'm here for the goals," he added. "When I'm on the field I try to score, but I also try to help. "When we win, I'm happy too. To be honest, I'm not thinking about that. If I get a chance, I'll score. I'm sure."
Jesus' next chance to end his long goal drought could arrive on Friday as Tite might be in the mood for rotation with Brazil already assured of a place in the World Cup knockout stage. If he can score against Cameroon and keeps his promise of not stopping again, then it's certainly a dream scenario for club and country.
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