Oleksandr Zinchenko wound down his window and began to conduct the crowd. The left back was driving away from the Emirates, where Arsenal had just beaten Crystal Palace to move eight points clear atop the Premier League, when he approached a pub garden rammed with supporters.
Zinchenko beeped his horn, clenched his first, leant out of the window. And roared.
Around the same time, Gabriel Jesus emerged from the dressing room to give his own rallying cry.
‘Now is, in my opinion, the best part of the season,’ Jesus said. ‘When you have deciding games, big games as well, away and at home.
‘Now is the time we have to play the same, don’t change, be together and then we will see.’
Gabriel Jesus (right) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (left) were signed from Man City to bring a winning mentality to Arsenal
Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1 on Sunday and Jesus wants the team to keep playing in the same way in the title run-in
Now is precisely the time for which he and Zinchenko were signed, too.
That winning mentality. Those habits and standards. The experience navigating these roads less travelled. Traits otherwise lacking within Mikel Arteta’s young squad.
Qualities which, for all the pace and spirit and guile that has carried Arsenal towards the Premier League title, will prove vital if they are to hold off Manchester City.
With 10 games to go, 10 finals as Bukayo Saka put it, they remain in the driving seat.
‘When you have a good relationship with the team-mates, everything on the pitch works well,’ the Brazilian said. ‘That’s why we are top of the league: we are playing good football, we understand each other.’
Arsenal have two weeks until the next final – Leeds on April 1. It promises to be an anxious wait: after all, during the last international break – the World Cup in Qatar – Jesus suffered the knee injury that kept him out until now.
‘It’s very good to be back,’ said the striker, who came off the bench in Sunday’s victory over Palace.
‘It was a long and very bad injury… it’s not easy to be out for almost four months.
‘I prefer to be on the pitch, helping, running, playing and helping my team-mates (rather) than outside. Outside, you suffer a lot!’
Neither Jesus’ dry spell – he is without a goal since October – nor Arsenal’s success in his absence should distract from the significance of this return after months of tears and mental torture. Surgery was only the first step on a long and painful road to repair the body of a £45million striker who – alongside the likes of Zinchenko – has transformed Arsenal.
Jesus made his first league appearance at the Emirates since November on Sunday
Jesus was sidelined for over three months after knee surgery and admitted it was a ‘bad injury’
It’s claimed that myriad ‘experts’ – not all especially reputable – offered treatments and their two cents.
In the end, though, this was a team effort involving Arsenal’s medics, physios, sports scientists, strength and conditioning staff, even a soft-tissue therapist.
‘My family as well – my wife, my daughter, my mum, my brothers, my sisters, my friends, everyone close to me helped me a lot,’ Jesus said. ‘Also here, the people at the club – the players, the staff, the manager.’
Then there were the demons inside Jesus’ head.
‘I think the most important thing was my mind. I tried to keep focused, keep strong and then come back fully fit,’ he said.
Jesus has started only once since his return.
Already, though, the striker’s presence has altered the mood and injected a dose more confidence.
In truth, Jesus’ influence never wavered. He was made vice-captain shortly after arriving from City.
Even while on the mend, he was always there – in the dressing room, on the touchline, in the ear of Eddie Nketiah, who was tasked with filling the huge hole in Arsenal’s frontline.
Jesus has hailed the togetherness at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta this season
‘I wanted to be involved. Over my life, I want to help as many as I can,’ he said. ‘That helped me a lot.’
Jesus added: ‘Now I am back, fully fit. At the same time I am so happy because the team are doing so good. We keep the distance to second.’
Heading into the final straight, City still hold a few crucial cards. They have a game in hand. They have the know-how of days like these. They know Arsenal must visit the Etihad in April.
It promises to be a severe test of Arsenal minds. And bodies. Just as Jesus returns, injuries are beginning to build up. Nketiah, Takehiro Tomiyasu, William Saliba and Mohamed Elneny are all on the treatment table. So far this season, Arsenal have succeeded in filling any cracks that appear. No wonder Jesus is reluctant to embrace the role of saviour.
‘The team are doing so good – I think no one here is the main man,’ he said.
‘Everyone is together. When I got injured, we were sure Eddie could go there and help us – and he did it. (Leandro) Trossard came in – and did it as well.
‘So everyone is together, it’s like this. To be champions of this big, big competition we need not only 11 players.’
Sunday’s victory over Palace means Arsenal have already matched last season’s points tally (69) with 10 games to go.
Unfortunately, in north London, dreaming has given way to believing and that means progress is no longer enough.
Jesus knows he faces a battle to get back into the team due to the form of Leandro Trossard (above) but is determined to play a decisive role in the final run-in
You can forgive supporters for adjusting their expectations.
You can understand why the return of Jesus gives them even more confidence.
‘They have always been good with me – helping me, pushing me,’ the striker said.
‘The way they did last Sunday against Fulham (his comeback) was amazing. I will never forget that. All I want is to give it back to them on the pitch, maybe in the next game, I don’t know. But I will help a lot.’
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