Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires believes Gabriel Jesus can be the ‘decisive player’ for the Gunners against their Premier League title rivals Manchester City. The Gunners have thrown away 2-0 leads in their last two games to draw with Liverpool and West Ham, allowing Man City to cut the lead at the top of the table to just four points. Jesus, who left City last summer, has been in good form since returning from injury and Pires believes it would be an ‘incredible story’ if he dented his former club’s title challenge and boosted Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
Pires also praised Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard for their contributions to Arsenal’s sensational season under Mikel Arteta. On Martinelli, Pires said: ‘I wouldn’t necessarily call it a surprise, simply because he’s incredibly talented and we’ve known that for a while. Now, like many of his team-mates, he has made significant leaps forward this season. He has also become more consistent, although he can certainly continue to develop.’
On Odegaard, Pires added: ‘This season he has developed excellently. He also gained in consistency, his body rarely lets him down, he seems to be in great shape and hungry for wins. It’s great to see such a talented footballer reach his full potential. Martin is taking on more and more responsibility on the team. He’s on a great path and Arsenal is the perfect place for him.’