Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta certainly believes that, if Gabriel Jesus can maintain the levels he showed in scoring a hat-trick against Crystal Palace, the Brazil striker can "really deliver" for the Gunners.

"It's about confidence," said the Spaniard. "You know, when you haven't scored a goal [in front of your own fans] for almost a year, it is tough. It's in your mind and you are thinking about it.

"Gabby is someone who wants to do more. He wants to work harder and help the team more in every way. Today it got rewarded.

"The movement, the quality of his touches, the way he finished, his reactions - that is a big, big thing for him and the team. It is a big message for the team in that we have got Gabby back at his best. Playing at that level he can really deliver for us."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Gabriel Jesus helped to turn Arsenal from a top-four team into title contenders when he arrived in July 2022 from Manchester City.

In his first campaign for the Gunners, the Brazil striker scored 11 league goals after starting in 24 of his 26 league appearances.

But he has struggled to re-establish himself as a consistent starter following a run of injury problems and subsequent drop in form.

Last season, Jesus scored just four league goals for Arsenal after starting in 17 of his 27 league games, while this season he is yet to get off the mark in the Premier League after starting in just two of his 13 appearances.

So Arsenal fans, could Jesus' EFL Cup hat-trick against Crystal Palace be a turning point for the Brazil striker? Thumbs up for yes, down for no.

Image source, Getty Images

When Gabriel Jesus signed for Arsenal from Manchester City for £45m in July 2022, it marked the end of manager Mikel Arteta's long search for a central striker.

The pair had worked together at City and Arteta said at the time of his arrival: "I know Gabriel personally very well, and we all know him well from his time in the Premier League and being really successful here.

"This is a position that's been on our radar for a long time now and we have managed to get a player that we all wanted, so I'm really happy."

Image source, Reuters

Gabriel Jesus joined Manchester City from Palmeiras in January 2017 so had five full seasons with the Blues before joining Arsenal in the summer of 2022.

The Brazil striker is now in his third season with the Gunners and the 27-year-old has claimed a total of 73 goals and 40 assists from 225 appearances in the Premier League.

Jesus has made it into double figures for league goals on three occasions:

• 2017-18 - 13 from 19 appearances with Man City
• 2019-20 - 14 from 34 appearances with Man City
• 2022-23 - 11 from 26 appearances with Arsenal

We're set to hear from three Premier League managers today, with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler the first scheduled to speak to the media from 09:00 GMT.

News conferences with Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Brentford boss Thomas Frank are scheduled for this afternoon.

Arsenal

Image source, Getty Images

Gabriel Jesus acknowledged his problems in front of goal after Wednesday's game: "I have scored a lot of goals but sometimes I have this problem with a lack of goals.

"I can create, I can make assists, I can run and help the team defending. When I score everyone sees, but when I don't they want their striker to score goals and I agree with that.

"That is why I am working a lot in training, finishing more, putting myself in a good position to finish the action. I think my hard work has paid off."

Gabriel Jesus went into Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final with just one goal to his name this season - from a 3-0 win at Championship side Preston in an earlier round of the competition.

His first goal against Crystal Palace came from a cool dink over goalkeeper Dean Henderson, while the second and third were fired in across goal from a similar spot on the corner of the six-yard box.

Amazingly, they were the Brazil striker's first goals at the Emirates since 17 December 2023.

Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on the Football Daily podcast

I was surprised that Eddie Howe said that they worked hard and what a good side Brentford are. Maybe on some weeks they are but tonight they were terrible.

He should have said 'I'm surprised Brentford turned up'. I would have expected more. It's the quarter-final of the League Cup - you lose, you go home, you're out.

[Thomas Frank] brought in Bryan Mbeumo alongside Yoane Wissa up front for the last 15 minutes, they started to create a little bit - up until then it was a non-event. It was just one team that had turned up.

Newcastle United

Image source, PA Media

Eddie Howe speaking about Newcastle's win over Brentford on the Football Daily podcast: "Yeah, really pleased, a good performance from the players. It was a difficult game, every game brings a unique challenge, Brentford were everything we thought they would be, they're a strong team but we scored some really good goals."

On Sandro Tonali: "It was great to see Sandro score the two that he did. We are starting to see the best of him. The tweak in position has definitely helped him, he is a lot more comfortable when he is deeper on the pitch. He is showing all the qualities that we knew when we signed him. It is just about finding the right balance for him and the team."

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The Daily Telegraph

If Marcus Rashford does move on in January, where would he go?

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that "the Saudi Pro League will offer Marcus Rashford a way out of Manchester United."

Image source, Daily Telegraph

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Marcus Rashford was absent from the Manchester United squad that boarded the train south yesterday afternoon for the Carabao Cup trip to Tottenham.

It is possible Rashford got on at a different station but the rest of United's squad were at Stockport and the expectation is the forward will not be involved when Ruben Amorim's side look to seal a semi-final spot.

It is not known whether Rashford has been disciplined by Amorim for the interview on Tuesday in which he said he was 'ready for a new challenge'.

Asked about the interview ahead of the game, Amorim said he would have probably sought out the manager first if he had a problem during his playing days.

"It's a hard situation to comment [on]," he said. "If I give a lot of importance it will have big headlines in the papers and if I say it's not a problem then my standards are getting low."

Manchester United

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford told football writer Henry Winter:, external "It's disheartening to be left out of a derby, but it's happened, we won the game so let's move on. It's disappointing but I'm also someone, as I've got older, I can deal with setbacks. What am I going to do about it? Sit there and cry about it, or do my best the next time I'm available."

He added: "For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps.

"When I leave it's going to be 'no hard feelings'. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.

"If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse. I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person. When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me."

Image source, PA Media

The Sun

Back to today's newspapers, and the Sun mentions Arsenal's hat-trick hero Gabriel Jesus and Mykhailo Mudryk, but leads on Marcus Rashford.

The striker was left out of Sunday's Manchester derby win at City and then spoke to a journalist about how he feels about his situation at Old Trafford.

United's head coach Ruben Amorim feels the 27-year-old should have spoken to him, though, rather than the media.

Image source, The Sun

What do you think, Arsenal fans? Should Mikel Arteta persevere with Gabriel Jesus after his hat-trick? Is there hope that he may be the goal-machine you need? Or should you be actively looking for a replacement in January?