Mikel Arteta Hints at Gabriel Jesus’ First Start in Nearly 12 Months Ahead of Carabao Cup Clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has indicated that Gabriel Jesus could be handed his first start in almost a year as the Gunners prepare for their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.

The Brazilian striker has endured a challenging 2025, sidelined for several months due to a knee ligament injury sustained in January.

Jesus has made three substitute appearances since returning to fitness, and Arteta confirmed that the striker is now pushing hard in training and deserves a starting opportunity soon. “You can see now, not only in games, every day in training how much he wants it. He’s going to deserve a chance soon,” Arteta said.

Jesus has a strong history against Palace, having scored five goals in a short span last season, including a Carabao Cup hat-trick and a Premier League brace. His return provides Arsenal with a valuable option in attack, especially as summer signing Viktor Gyokeres is still adapting to English football.

Arteta praised Jesus’ qualities, highlighting his ability to connect with teammates and create uncertainty for opponents. “I think that’s probably the biggest quality of Gabi, bringing people together, connecting with people and generating a lot of uncertainty in the opponent,” Arteta explained. “When you see him, the amount of spaces that he is involved in, that’s his biggest quality. So we need to exploit that.”

Jesus, who joined Arsenal in 2022 as a four-time Premier League winner, is set to make his 100th appearance for the club across all competitions. Arteta remains confident in his importance to the team, despite the setbacks caused by injury.

“It’s been a really intense journey. When he joined us, he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the club and the team. He gave something very different to what we already had, and it was really impressive,” Arteta said. “Then he had some very bad injuries that haven’t allowed him to have the consistency that we need from a very important player. But he’s back, I think his fighting spirit, he’s decided to always prepare the best way. He’s unbelievable and the team has got it now and we need to use it.”

With Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League cut to two points, Arteta is balancing priorities between league and cup competitions, but the Carabao Cup offers a platform to reintegrate key players like Jesus and maintain squad fitness ahead of crucial fixtures.