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BBC pundit and former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks has praised Gabriel Jesus for his excellent start to life at Arsenal.
Jesus scored twice on his competitive home debut as the Gunners beat Leicester City 4-2 in the Premier League on August 13. The Brazilian also assisted his side's other two goals in the match, scored by Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Crooks named Jesus as one of his three forwards while selecting his Premier League Team of the Week for the BBC. The Arsenal striker was placed alongside Leeds United's Rodrigo Moreno and Liverpool's Luis Diaz.
Lauding Jesus for his fantastic Emirates debut, Crooks noted that the player seemed to be enjoying more freedom than he did at Manchester City. He said (as quoted by the BBC):
“As far as home debuts go, that wasn't a bad one for Jesus. The Brazilian seems to be relishing playing for a team that allows him freedom.”
The Englishman added:
“He's playing like a man who has just been let out of a straitjacket. I have always maintained Jesus was a genuine finisher but a better player than what he was allowed to display or express during his days at Manchester City.”
Crooks also stated that Jesus should've scored a hat-trick against Leicester. The forward missed a couple of presentable chances in either half, though he more than made up for it by laying out two assists. Crooks concluded:
“The striker, however, should have had a hat-trick and will rue how he missed this one. Hat-tricks are difficult to come by and if he didn't know that before this fixture against Leicester, he certainly does now.”
Arsenal are one of only two teams to not drop points in the Premier League so far
Arsenal kicked off their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on August 6. While the Gunners weren't at their best throughout, they did enough to take home a cleansheet and all three points.
Mikel Arteta's men were made to struggle a little more by a spirited Leicester City in their second match. However, Jesus' brilliance saw them through to a deserved 4-2 victory.
The result helped Arsenal maintain their 100% start to the new league season. They are the only side other than reigning champions Manchester City to win both their opening matches. City defeated West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth in their first two games of the Premier League season.
Arsenal will hope to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign when they travel to Bournemouth on August 20.
