Gabriel Jesus Determined To Return To Arsenal's Starting XI Following ACL Injury Recovery

Add as a preferred source on Google

Gabriel Jesus is eager to reclaim his spot in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal lineup. After undergoing surgery for an ACL injury in January, he has been sidelined. Despite rumours of a potential move in the January transfer window, the 28-year-old is determined to stay at Arsenal and fight for his place. He remains committed to the club until his contract ends in 2027.

Jesus expressed his enthusiasm about returning to action soon. "Every day, the [Arsenal] coach and the board say they're eager for my return," he stated. "I don't see myself outside the club's plans." He shared that his knee is healing well and he's excited to rejoin his teammates. However, he acknowledges the need to pace himself during recovery.

Arsenal's recent defensive performance has been impressive. In their last three matches across all competitions, they have allowed just one shot on target over five hours and two minutes of playtime. This solid defence has contributed to their strong position in the Premier League standings this season.

The Gunners have faced the fewest shots (65) and shots on target (18) while conceding only three goals so far. This matches their record from the 1998-99 season when they also kept five clean sheets in their first eight games.

Leandro Trossard is currently in excellent form for Arsenal. He scored the winning goal against Fulham last week and has found the net in each of his last two Premier League starts against Crystal Palace. Trossard has never lost a game for Arsenal when scoring, with 21 appearances resulting in 17 wins and four draws.

For Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta has been a standout performer. Eight of his last nine Premier League goals have been scored in London, including five goals in his last eight London derbies. Mateta joins Andrew Johnson and Wilfried Zaha as one of only three Palace players to achieve this feat.

Palmeiras Connection

While Jesus is focused on Arsenal, he hasn't ruled out a future return to Palmeiras, his boyhood club. "Palmeiras' interest will always be there," Jesus mentioned, acknowledging mutual interest but no formal discussions yet. He cherishes his roots at Palmeiras and hopes to return someday when he feels ready.

Upcoming Match Expectations

Arsenal are favourites heading into their match against Crystal Palace with a win probability of 62.7%. The Gunners have won five of their last six league meetings with Palace, although they drew 2-2 in this fixture last season. Palace's away record against Arsenal isn't strong, with just one win in their last 14 visits.

Despite leading the league for shots on target (43) and expected goals (17.4), Palace have struggled with finishing, underperforming by -5.4 xG and missing 22 big chances this season.

Arsenal's home advantage is significant when they start top of the table; they've lost only twice out of 70 such matches at home since September 2008. Their recent form suggests they are well-positioned to continue this trend against Crystal Palace.