'Earn the right to play' - Mikel Arteta fires ruthless message to struggling Arsenal star

Gabriel Jesus has struggled for game time at Arsenal this season with the Brazilian yet to find the back of the net in seven appearances across all competitions

Mikel Arteta has told Gabriel Jesus, he must "earn the right to play more" as he aims to get regular minutes following his injury setback last August.

The setback erased the momentum of a promising pre-season where Jesus found the net against Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United. Despite Arsenal’s current system favouring Kai Havertz in a false nine role, which has limited Jesus to a starting role only in the recent victory over Southampton, Arteta maintains confidence in his player's comeback capabilities.

With substitute appearances in the Premier League and starts in European and Carabao Cup matches, Jesus is still on the hunt for his first goal this season, leaving questions about his fit as Arsenal’s leading striker. Arteta praised Jesus’ initial form, saying: "He came on in a great shape, probably in the best condition he's been with us.

"He was flying in pre-season and unfortunately he got that injury straight away that affected him for a few weeks. He put again a lot of work into it to come back and now he needs to get the rhythm."

The Spaniard further emphasized Jesus’ need to validate his increased involvement, adding: "He's playing a few games, he's started two games in a row vs Atalanta and Bolton, he's come on against Southampton. So yeah, he's there.

"Now he needs to earn the right to play more. He's got our full support, he's a player that can play in various positions and he's a really important player for us." Jesus, who has only netted 19 times during his two-season spell with Arsenal, candidly spoke about his goal-scoring last year: "There are things that I don't control.

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"I train, I look for, I try, I move, I help the team. The goal is inevitable. I believe it's not my strong point, but I score goals and I'm there to score goals."

Signed over two years ago by Arteta as a potential key to silverware success, Jesus' expected role at Arsenal has been evolving. Recent tactical shifts have seen Kai Havertz flourishing in an advanced position, while Leandro Trossard emerges as a versatile attacking threat, consistently making strong impressions as a substitute.

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