Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal (Sarr 11′ | Jesus 6′, 15′, Havertz 38′, Martinelli 60′, Rice 84′)
SELHURST PARK — (Gabriel) Jesus has been (re)born at Christmas. Sometimes the terrible jokes write themselves.
Arsenal‘s Brazilian forward followed up his midweek hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup by punishing them in the Premier League with two quickfire goals in the first-half helping them move three points behind the leaders Liverpool before Christmas.
Jesus’s sudden unexpected return to form is even more timely for Mikel Arteta given Bukayo Saka limped off after just 25 minutes with a hamstring injury on his 250th senior appearance for his boyhood club. The winger was seen leaving Selhurst Park on crutches.
Saka instantly recognised the severity of the strain, clutching the back of his thigh and signalling to the bench within seconds of swinging his right foot at the ball to cross.
It is the same injury that Saka suffered while on international duty with England and he went straight down the tunnel to receive treatment after being helped off the pitch.
Arteta admitted that Saka’s injury is “worrying” but stressed that he will have to be assessed before a timescale is put on his recovery.
Saka’s impending absence at a busy and critical point of the season is a major worry for Arsenal. During Arteta’s time in charge, he has become the leader of the attack, providing 15 more goals and 15 more assists than any other teammate since the Spaniard’s first game in the dugout.
Gabriel Martinelli was shifted from left to right after Saka’s withdrawal and Jesus will hope that his compatriot will stay there having rediscovered his golden touch through the middle. Raheem Sterling, a natural albeit out-of-form replacement, was not in the squad due to injury.
Arteta rewarded Jesus for his cup heroics by handing him only his third league start of the season, a decision made easier by his treble and Kai Havertz’s dwindling returns in recent months.
It prompted a reshuffle of the attack with Havertz dropping into midfield. That ploy hasn’t worked in the past, but by half-time both players had contributed three goals to put the Gunners in a commanding position.
Taking Jesus out of the team would have run the risk of denting his confidence as soon as it had returned. Within a quarter of an hour, Jesus had justified his manager’s decision by scoring twice, his first league goals since 30 January.
A total of 56 minutes elapsed from Jesus’s first of three goals against Palace on Wednesday to his second of two on Saturday. Poor Dean Henderson will be sick of the sight of him. He has scored as many goals in his last two appearances as he had managed in his previous 45.
Jesus almost made it back-to-back hat-tricks in consecutive halves by hitting the post with a header. Henderson’s relief was shortlived as the ball bounced straight to Havertz to bundle in Arsenal’s third.
He had an even better chance to secure another match ball but fluffed his lines from close-range. It will annoy him but it mattered little.
Martinelli tucked in a miscued Declan Rice shot from the rebound before the England midfielder made it five with a fine finish.
Goals change games goes the cliche, but for Jesus this spurt may have just changed the trajectory of his Arsenal career. He will expect to continue his hot streak against Ipswich on 27 December after their defence was tormented so brutally by Alexander Isak earlier in the day.
Arteta will hope that this past week can be a turning point for Jesus, particularly now that Saka, his best and most consistent attacker, is set for a spell on the sidelines. Arsenal’s title hopes may depend on it.
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