Mikel Arteta says he is ‘very happy’ with the way Gabriel Jesus has settled at the club after the Brazilian scored his third goals in two games for the Gunners following his £45 million move to the Emirates.
Jesus was on the match sheet as Arsenal defeat Everton 2-0 in Maryland on Saturday night and he had a hand in setting up Bukayo Saka for his effort.
The Brazilian scored twice on his debut last week and is already looking for a smart signing.
Arteta was already fully aware of the quality of Jesus by working with the striker at Manchester City but the Brazilian’s all-round game has progressed since the Spaniard’s departure.
And Arteta admits he’s very happy with the way Jesus has settled into his new environment, saying he “loves” the Brazilian’s attitude and the way he’s “creating chaos.”
“He looks very sharp, very dynamic. (He) immediately has a very good rapport with his teammates,” said Arteta.
“They are looking for him, he generates opportunities, good connections around specific spaces that we mainly want to exploit with him, and yes, we are very happy.
“He creates chaos, he creates uncertainty and he is always on your shoulder. He is always there to steal the ball from you, he is always in front of the goal. He is a real threat and this is what we need. And then it’s him.
“The moment we give the ball away, he is immediately active and puts pressure and gets his team behind him. He has a lot of leadership qualities, I can immediately see what he is doing with the guys and he is the type of man we want.
“I like those kind of players, streetwise. They learn a lot, they know how to feel, they can take advantage of any situation and that’s what we need.’
Jesus was used as a mix of a striker and a winger during his last 18 months at City, but the Brazilian sees his future in the middle.
Arteta agrees his best position is central but says the Brazilian can be used wide depending on the side’s opponent.
“Well, he’s very versatile, but of course the way we want to develop him is in that position,” said Arteta.
“But sometimes not on his own, but don’t close that door because Gabby will have to use him in different positions because of what the opponent is doing in certain games. He is open to this and knows that it is also part of his strength.’
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