Jesus creates ‘chaos’, says Arteta

WASHINGTON 17 July (Online): Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Gabriel Jesus’s ability to create “chaos” is exactly what they need after the Brazilian continued his impressive pre-season form in a 2-0 win over Everton in Baltimore on Saturday.

Jesus opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after a corner found him unmarked at the far post, lashing his effort past Jordan Pickford and into the roof of the net, before playing a role in setting up Bukayo Saka for the second minutes later.

The 25-year-old striker, who scored twice in a pre-season friendly against Nuremberg earlier this month, was signed for 45 million pounds ($53.33 million) from Manchester City in the close season.

“He creates chaos, he creates uncertainty and he’s always on your shoulder,” Arteta told reporters after the win.

“He’s a real threat and this is what we need. He’s very versatile, but obviously, the way we would like to develop him, is in that (number nine) position.”

Arsenal will also take onChelsea and Major League Soccer side Orlando City in the United States before rounding off their pre-season preparations against Sevilla in London on July 30.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel said Conor Gallagher could prove to be a “big asset” for the club after the midfielder made his case for a spot in their first-team with a solid performance in a 2-1 pre-season win over Club America in Las Vegas.

Gallagher, who impressed in a loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, played 45 minutes on Saturday as Mason Mount sealed victory for Chelsea in the 83rd minute, after Timo Werner’s opener was cancelled out by a Reece James own goal.

“Conor trains at a really high level, and you can clearly see it was the right decision to let him go on loan,” Tuchel told reporters after the win.

“He made a huge step in his development at Palace and became an England player. It was a very good start and a good match for him. Now it’s important he gets used to our principles of the game, to understand when to move and when not to move, and his work rate is outstanding… He can be a big asset for us.”