Gabriel Jesus has admitted that he was “very happy” at Manchester City prior to his exit but that he was eager for a change of scenery, hinting that he didn’t feel he fitted into Pep Guardiola’s system.
The Brazilian secured a summer move to Arsenal, where he has scored four times in eight games. He started 27 times in the league last season for the Blues but only completed the full 90 minutes in 13 of those, and was often played out wide.
Jesus won four Premier League titles, four League Cups and an FA Cup in five-and-a-half years at City, scoring 95 goals in 236 matches. He was a popular figure among fans at the Etihad and many were sad to see him leave, although they understood why.
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Speaking to ESPN, the striker opened up on why he felt he had to leave Manchester and find more minutes in London. “I was very happy at Manchester City,” Jesus said. “It’s not that I was unhappy there, but I also had to accept the way the team wanted me to play, and that was clear.
“The thing was the way he [Guardiola] understood football and what he wanted. It’s up to you whether you accept it or not. If you don’t accept it, it’s ‘thank you’ and we’re off to another challenge.
“There came a moment when I said: ‘I want something else for myself’.” Jesus explained how his role at Arsenal is different to the one he occupied under Guardiola at City.
He added: “It’s different here at Arsenal. It’s different football, there are different players, different ways of playing. At City it was different.
“The striker didn’t take the ball that much, you just have to watch the games to see that. And when it was time to touch the ball, it wasn’t the striker, because he [Guardiola] ended up putting a midfielder to come closer. All right, okay. So, I decided to change [club].
“I talked a lot with [former City assistant and current Arsenal boss Mikel] Arteta about the style of play. He knows me, I know him, I understood what he wanted from me. Now, I’m free on the field, playing ball with a smile on my face and trying to do my best always.”
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