Gabriel Jesus has called on Arsenal to “stick together” as they gear up for Wednesday’s season-defining clash with Manchester City.
The Brazilian issued the rallying call after the Gunners drew 3-3 with relegation-threatened Southampton at Emirates Stadium on Friday night, a result that effectively cedes control of the title race to his former club.
While Mikel Arteta’s side will head to the Etihad with a five-point lead, Pep Guardiola’s side knows a win gives them the perfect platform to pip Arsenal as they will still have two games in hand.
“Like the last two games, it’s two points dropped,” he told Arsenal.com.
“With all respect to our opponents, Southampton, they came to play the game of their lives because of the situation they’re in now, and us too.
“We have to understand that every point can decide the league. But, like we all say, now it’s time to stick together and then we go again.
“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. The last games we played, we faced tough opponents.
“In the last two games, we started so well and then after we couldn’t hold the ball and keep playing [our way]. Tonight was the opposite – we didn’t start well like in other games but at the end we tried our best but dropped two points.”
That Arsenal managed to rescue a point against the Saints was a minor miracle given we were trailing by two goals with two minutes remaining. The never-say-die attitude extends our unbeaten run to 10 games. No mean feat.
“It’s really difficult to be [trailing by two goals] but we are here playing for a massive club, and for all the supporters at the club,” said Jesus.
“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.
“Even if you don’t drop the points we dropped in the last games, nothing changes – it’s a final [against City]. Each game is a final, we have to face them like a final. This is the most important game of the season for us.”
Just score mate
He did score in the previous games and for someone who came back after more than 3 months, it wasn’t bad but we needed goals from him yesterday. Winning the league is that demanding.
I think its hugely going under the radar that he’s been out for nearly half a season and has seamlessly slotted back into proceedings and contributing with goals again. Most players need two to three games to get back up to match speed when they’ve been on the bench for a couple of weeks. He’s been out for way longer than that, and is basically as good as he was for us previously, I think its something like 14 goal contributions in 20 Premier League matches which is as good as, a goal or assist every 129 minutes. That’s some… Read more »
Some Arsenal fans have excuses for everything. So, are you now saying staying away for 3months he should suddenly forget how to score goals? I haven’t played football in years but given those chances Jesus misses I promise you I’ll put one away. Jesus is not just a natural goal scorer, he should be shifted to the wings and a new striker bought. I now see why he was sold in the first place because you can’t be in a club like Mancity and you need 10 chances to score a goal in an important match.
Of course you would. Are you available Wednesday night.
Looking forward to not seeing you on here when he scores on Wednesday.
Everyone hopes he scores and does well, but there is no escaping the fact he misses a lot of chances that more natural strikers would put away. He is definitely needed, but Arsenal should look to strengthen at centre forward in the summer.
Flo Balogun?
Or are you one of those desperate to sell him for a pittance because he’s ‘surplus to requirements’…?
I am willing to bet a large amount of money you dont score any of those half chances he struggled to put away on Friday evening.
You know don’t you (or maybe you don’t) that every player on relegation-threatened Southampton is at least five times better than any player who has ever been on a pitch with you? That if you ever got behind someone like Walker-Peters once, you would be bragging about it the rest of your life?
I largely agree with almost every word IamaGoober, but failing to beat Man City and still winning the League would not matter one jot.
A title is a title. It is won over 38 games in a season. It is not defined by head-to-heads.
Remember we did the double over Leicester City when they won the title in 2016? There is no asterisk against their win (at least not for that reason).
COYG
Hmmm.. I am not so sure, I think to call yourself true champions you have to beat your main rivals at least once. I mean listen, if we get done away at City and somehow still manage to end up winning it, then there is of course merit in that too i.e. pulling yourself up off the canvas to go again.. but for me, I’d want us to go there and make a statement by winning. Appreciate that’s in our heart of hearts what we all want too, but yeah, I just think its better and palms away a lot… Read more »
The fickleness of some of our fans is unbelievable. Comments like “no wonder city got rid of him” it’s embarrassing but I guess every club will have their fair share of cxxts 🤓
Twitter culture mate, everything is black or white and everybody thinks they’re opinion matters. Long way to go yet, hoping we make a few changes for Wednesday get some fresh legs on. City looked a bit tired to me against Bayern, far from a foregone conclusion that they beat us or win the rest of their games.
Spot on Sundy. 🍺👍
I’ve been calling out the morons who made those comments all season for other gems of crass stupidity.
They might have opinions, but they are as ignorant as fuck.
Love Jesus but i don’t think Trossard should of been dropped with the form he was in.
Trossard is the ideal Super Sub.
Against Man City at the Etihad, you start Jesus, Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard. End of.
Needs to take his chances.
Not striker is perfect – otherwise that ponytail rubber lipped prick would have tucked his penalty away against Bayern Munich.
I’m just a bit worried about how we’ve thrown the last 3 “Cup finals” and how easy Citeh could cut through us just like Theo did.
“Spirit of ’79”
I’m old enough to remember us throwing the league in 89 until we went and won 2-0 at Anfield. this is the way it goes, never linear. there’s a few twists and turns to come yet. it’s not over til the fatgooner sings
It’s good to be hopeful at all times, but I can’t see Arsenal outscoring City on Wednesday with this defence. I know two games are not the same, but one thing this team has shown of late is their inability to withstand pressure for any length of time without conceding. City will beat them and go on to win the league. That is the reality at this point.
Bollocks.
The reality is that it will be 11 v 11 and we have as much chance as they do.
You miss the point. Even if we miraculously beat City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves await us after City. Do you see the team picking 15 points from those games? I don’t.
Did you see the team being where they are now, last August?
No one did! Yet here we are.
What the fuck makes you now think these boys aren’t capable of finishing the job?
Have some faith FFS.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool that season were shaky and lost a lot of games, despite challenging for the title. There was always a chance of an upset. This Man City team is a financially enhanced machine. You cannot afford to be anything less than perfect to stop them. Without Saliba I just don’t see it.
If you’re gonna take the piss, at least get the year right, smart arse.
We need to stick together, sure, but we also need our striker to stick the ball in the back of the net.
I’m going to be positive (don’t have a heart attack!). If we can manage to go to the Etihad and get a win then it will effectively undo all the damage of the last three games. That game was always going to be a 6-pointer. I was watching City against Sheffield United this evening and Pep’s boys were pretty average. We will give them a much tougher game than the Blades. The secret to beating them will be defending really solidly and then trying to nick the first goal. And then defending even better. That’s why Tierney must start at… Read more »
I think we can win, because we have exceptionable attacking players and football is a funny game. But I wouldn’t make too much of the way City played Sheffield with De Bruyne, Rodri, and Dias among the starters on the bench.
Looking forward to Benny Blanco taking the piss out of Grealish.
We will score up there. The problem will be the defending. We have looked so brittle recently.
Yep – that’s what worries me Fats. We just don’t seem to be able to shake off the sloppy, brain-fart moments. Everyone’s going on about the last 3 games but we’ve been getting away with plenty for the whole of this year (just remember of the back of Emi’s head, ffs!).
City will NOT miss a single chance to punish any sloppiness on Wed. IF – and it’s a large one – we can tighten up considerably – we certainly have the attacking talent to nick 1 or 2.
anything is possible is what he’s saying, let’s not forget how far we have come this season to be in this situation, positives after last 3 results which may grind is we didn’t lose, its not a time also to blame anyone although MOTD are doing their best to put it all on Holding for Ramsbo mistake for 1st and Odergaurd mistake losing the ball for 2nd, Robbie wasn’t at fault for any of these, a cheap shot looking for someone to blame, OK next up at City, i would like to see Reiss Nelson start somewhere as he gives… Read more »
Mate, if we are to have any chance at all, we play our best possible starting XI.
That does not include Turner and, much as I love him, Nelson.
Fuck what happened against Southampton. It’s history, dead, gone.
We go again, a fresh 90 minutes to smash those cunts and everyone with their tongues up their arses into oblivion.
We are The Arsenal. We did it in 1989. We can do it again in 2023.
COYG
Are you completely off your head. Turner for Ramsdale ffs
Odegaard lost the ball in an area where every team loses the ball ten times a game. The idea that he was at fault for the goal isn’t “analysis,” it’s just the silly finger-pointing that replaces thinking.
With Saliba we have a chance.
No Saliba we will lose 3-0.
Sorry folks, just stating the obvious.
And Why Arteta put Vieria in midfield instead of ESR confuses me. Vieria always look out of depth when playing in EPL.
Why Arteta put Vieira in instead of Jorginho confuses me even more.
Perhaps he believed that Southampton would struggle to contain us and decided to play an additional attacking player.
We had to go for goal – he chose a more attacking line up.
Backing against your own team.
Way to go….🙄
For me, the game plan should have been to make the game at Etihad as unimportant as possible, and we had the chances. First at Anfield, and then at London Stadium; we blew them both. Then Southampton happened. The truth is, winning at the Etihad does not even guarantee the title. This team will still drop more points.
The title is gone; no need for rallying cries anymore. The earlier this reality sinks in, the better for us.
Second position and a return to CL is an amazing achievement.
Never confuse fact with opinion.
Your head says we have lost the title already. That’s an opinion.
The fact remains that it’s still not mathematically impossible for us to win the title – in spite of your negative thought process.
If Vieira starts I am not fking watching the match.
Just make sure you eat your dinner or you won’t get any pudding.
And tidy your bedroom while you’re about it.
Bollocks sonny! You WILL watch the bloody match. And here’s the simple reason why:
because you’re not watching Vieira, you’re watching The Arsenal. It’s what supporters do. Week in, week out. As long as a player pulls on that shirt, you fuggin’ shout his name and give him every reason to play better, whether you think he’s a muppet or not. Because, for those 90 mins, in that shirt… he’s an ARSENAL player!
I have never seen Jesus as an out and out striker – more of a Bergkamp role sitting behind the main striker, so for me I never expected him to get 20 plus goals a season. Scoring goals is not the problem for Arsenal – it’s our defensive weakness and the failure of some players to step up in these last few games. We need to invest certainly in a top-class centre back, a left back when Tierney is inevitably sold in the summer and a solid defensive midfielder (Declan Rice). I would actually consider playing Zinchenko in the left… Read more »
Yep. We’ve scored 7 goals in our last 3 games. The forward line is not the problem. Two massive injuries simultaneously to Tommy and Saliba are what have done us. To win the title you need luck as well as grit. Luck seems to have deserted us. Some appalling VAR and referring decisions have cost us more points this season than the the 6 we’ve dropped in the last three games. I’m hoping for a mini miracle on Wednesday, but recent form has me worried. On the flip side, I’m sure Southampton, Everton and West Ham fans all thought they’d… Read more »
Didn’t both of those injuries happen the the EL game? I still don’t know why Arteta didn’t rotate more in that competition.
The goal for next season has to be to upgrade the squad rather than silly money on the first team. Not sure Kiwior, Vieira, Nkethia, Holding, Elneny, Jorginho cut it, and that’s the spine of the team.
I was all for rotating heavily and fucking the Europa off. I said the Premiership is the one that matters and we shouldn’t even be thinking of playing any of our first XI.
Cue three figure downvotes from idiots who couldn’t see any further than their FIFA23 screens.
Its almost unbelievable. Who would have thought Arsenal would be dragging League title with City. Kudos to the boys, kudos to the Manager. Kudos to the Fans.
I’m staking €10 on Arsenal to beat City. We win, I buy next season jersey. Otherwise, i take the L like a champ and look for another way to buy the jersey for €10
I would start Trossard and Tierney, bring on Jesus and Zinny at 60 minutes with *a point to prove*
Playing Zinny is going to make it easy for Mahrez as Zinny has a tendency to venture away from position. You need much more discipline against City.
There will be no one more motivated to make amends on Wednesday night than Zinchenko.
To not start him is unthinkable.
I’m not sure I agree, Q – the bloke adds so much going forward, and I get the redemption/revenge angle – but hat-trick energised Mahrez running at a back-pedalling Z for an hour until Mik subs him? Makes me very, very nervous – especially since Mahrez knows him inside and out.
If Grannie’s not fit, I’d play Z there with KT as last line of defence down our left.
That REALLY worries me – Ziiiinch is NOT a last ditch defender. He’s an attacker, We need KT’s solidity on Mahrez – and don’t forget Mahrez has run at Z a thousand times in training so know exactly where his weaknesses are, as does Pep – who will 100% instruct the to run at his channel!
I would have Tierney at left back and move Zinchenko into midfield alongside Partey and to drop back to provide extra cover for Tierney. I would keep Jesus upfront.
Yes…just no Viera please
Nah. On a night when attack is more important than defence, we will need Zinky to link up and create with our midfield.
KT is good, but Wednesday is a night for Zinchenko at LB.
Pep will have Mahrez run at him all night… they are both only too aware of his weakness going backwards on defence.
Update: I’ve thought about this and now I agree with you.
If Xhaka is still ill then move Zinchenko alongside Partey and pop KT in at LB.
Yep, definitely a goer. The more I think about it, the better it gets.
Yep. Seems good to me, especially if Xhaka doesn’t make it.
Zinchenko could link up well with Partey
I would love to start Trossard too, but who do you leave out? Saka and Martinelli are completely out of the question, ditto Odegaard. They are our passport out of that fucking dump with three points. As for Jesus, it already sounds like our main man is busting a gut to get out there and smash his old muckers to pieces. Nah. Let’s leave Trossard fresh on the bench – he’s been a great game changer to have and one that City will really fear. For me, we start with our normal front four, all guns blazing from the off… Read more »
Former players always score against us, time for us to return the favour. I would dance in the street if Jesus or Zinky got a 90th minute winner!
And please Real Madrid, stuff City in the CL semi final, I am bored shitless of the BBC Pep/City/Haaland wankfest going on!
They make you want to puke, don’t they?
The cunt beside Lee Dixon commentating on yesterday’s FA Cup Semi Final even had the fucking cheek to declare that City are in ‘pole position’ in the Premiership.
If I had been Lee Dixon, I would have taken one for the team there and said “Pole position? It’s points in the bag mate, not games in hand.”
Fucking City loving BBC cunts.
Oh they always bum kiss the teams with money, first it was ManUre and now it is oil city!!! The only teams in the top half of the table with any kudos are Arsenal and Brighton!!!
The 3rd day he rose, Peter denied him 3 times… now Jesus to get 3, with a divine hat-trick that saves us all!
We have to now draw a line under all that has happened thus far. Especially the negative stuff, which must be simply forgotten. Now is the time for the boys to focus on what they do well, what they’re good at, what their strengths are, both as individuals and as a team. Keeping a clean sheet against such a potent City attack will be all but Impossible, so the greatest form of defence is to attack attack and attack some more. If I was Arteta, my key words would be “Score Goals.” No shutting up shop until we have netted… Read more »
I agree with you. To go there and try to defend is asking for a humiliating beating. If we score, keep attacking. They will be terrified of martinelli saka Jesus and odegarrd. Sheffield United United had chances yesterday when they attacked. Their defence ain’t great. It’s as bad as ours without saliba
I vote you stand on the pitch and say that to the players! It’s a hell of a rallying cry!
Don’t worry, Mikel will in the dressing room – or words to that effect.
This game will be won and lost as much in the mindset as anything else.
Have to agree – there is not a team on the planet that City cannot unlock, if give the time, the space, and the ball. It is simply a question of time and attrition.
So don’t play like that – not even for 5 minutes!
Tear into the fuckers like men possessed. Get in their faces, rough ’em up, shithouse… but, most in NB, while you’re doing all that…
NO FUGGIN’ BRAINFARTS OR SLOPPY COCK-UPS!
Partey especially needs to wake the fuck up. This hanging onto the ball and threading through the eye of a needle a microsecond from giving away possession isn’t going to be feasible against City.
Hopefully Zinchenko will be in midfield to keep an eye on matters.
Tired of all these rallying calls. The less they talk the better.
Why does one non-offensive comment go to moderation and the next is fine? Is moderation completely at random? It is annoying when you write a comment for it never to be posted..
It’s over guys. You can’t piss away 6 points in three games and expect to win the PL with City breathing down your neck. Gone.
Let’s hope we can add to the group since Saka as Saliba are NTI signed up yet.
Heh.
We’re beginning to see who the real fans are on this page – those who are still prepared to get behind the team and remain positive.
And then we have negative losers, the cowards who have already thrown in the towel – despite it still being mathematically possible for us to win this title.
All very interesting….
For the record, I find your relentless positivity policing as tedious as the negativity.
Have a good wallow then mate.
Treat yourself.
Emma yeah, read that again perhaps
*ermm
Some fans live to be miserable. I honestly don’t know what they get out of watching the game when they can’t even be happy that we are still in a title hunt with 6 games to go, after all these years in the wilderness.
We might not win the title, but still, isn’t it dam nice to be relevant still with 6 games to go instead of the customary, languishing in 5th/6th hoping to make the UCL. Some fans will never be happy doesn’t matter where we finish.
Negative or being a realist? Personally I think the title was lost when we dropped a two goal lead at anfield!!! Hit the team psychologically as evidenced by the following results!!! Anyway, that is my take on matters but it doesn’t mean I am right – I hope we still go on to win the title, I just have my doubts!!!
Every game is a cup final, but it feels like the players are taking the piss in the last 2 games. Anyways I never thought we would be facing a ‘final’ against City which could potentially decide the title, so well done lads, and I’ll support them 110% come Wednesday. What’s the fun in football if we stopped believing.
Spuds are very funny 🤣
What a difference another April makes……
Hilarious
Just hope Newcastle do not play like that against us
Mate – we are many things, but we ain’t Spurs!
Newcastle 6:1 Spuds
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Comedy Gold.
Song busting a gut at 0-5 down was particularly mirthful.
And Kane – his consolation goals and Brand New Spurs Records are about as useful to them now as lampposts not working after dark in a street full of dog shit.
We may win the league , we may not be able to win it. I will still support the gunners. We are building a great team that can challenge for many years.
I have adopted this attitude to manage myself during this “squeeky bum time”
What if Arteta plays this team in a 352 formation against citeh:
Rams
Ben Gabriel Tierney
Saka Partey Georginho Zinny
Ødegaard Martinelli
Jesus/Leo
Is Xhaka missing another game?
So… we’ve chucked away 6 easy points in our last 3 games. However, things are not as bleak as some on this thread would have us think. Firstly – we earned the ‘headroom’ to drop those points through our consistently above-par performances this entire season. Which is why, games in hand aside, we are still top of the table. Point is, without some heroic performances for months on end, it could be a lot worse.. Manure could be snapping at our heels for second, ffs… or we might be scrapping for 4th! No – this team has performed far beyond… Read more »