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Gabriel Jesus wants to kick on and get his rhythm back after the Arsenal striker scored for the first time since overcoming a nagging, frustrating knee issue.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old impressed after joining from Manchester City last summer but was laid low in December with an injury sustained in Brazil\u2019s World Cup group game against Cameroon.<\/p>\n
Jesus did not return to action for Arsenal until mid-March and had to go back under the knife last month due to irritation with the original knee problem.<\/p>\n
The striker made his second substitute appearance since then on Sunday, when he completed a memorable late 3-1 Premier League comeback win against Manchester United.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m feeling good,\u201d Jesus said after the Emirates Stadium triumph. \u201cIt\u2019s tough when you just come back from injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a holiday, I started to feel in my knee again. It was unlucky for me. It\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter pre-season, you go and try but you feel in pain. And then I made the decision to do surgery as quickly as possible to come back stronger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was tough, but now I\u2019m getting back. It\u2019s so important to get the rhythm again, so, yeah. I\u2019m back. I feel good and I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus says he felt completely fine at the end of last season and only once felt his knee play up at the end of a training session, but even then it felt fine the next day.<\/p>\n
His right knee continued to feel fine during his post-season holiday and the start of pre-season, only for the issue to flare up again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I came back, in the first week, still nothing,\u201d Jesus said. \u201cThen after I started to feel it. And for me, it was (a case of) if I\u2019m not 100 per cent, I won\u2019t be myself. I was trying.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, I\u2019m good with the pain, so I was keeping playing and training.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was feeling it a little bit, but for me it was nothing. But then we hit a point when I couldn\u2019t run or move, so I decided to do a surgery and that was it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked how mentally tough he found that, Jesus said: \u201cFirst day is s*** when you just find out. Then the day after you realise you have to keep going, fighting and smile because I have a life.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has given me a life, God let me wake up every morning, so I have to be grateful, I\u2019m blessed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can walk, I can be here, I can smile, so nothing to complain. Just believe in God and keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
That belief extends to collective success at Arsenal, who head into the international break with 10 points from their first four matches after beating United on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Marcus Rashford\u2019s opener was immediately cancelled out by Martin Odegaard, before Declan Rice and Jesus struck in stoppage time after Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal ruled out for the visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the Premier League,\u201d the Brazil forward said. \u201cSometimes the game changes a lot. We conceded, we came back, we had a penalty, didn\u2019t have a penalty.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my opinion there were some bad decisions from the referee.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven with their (disallowed) goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but it was offside.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen, after the game changed again, we scored two and we won the game. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you play a massive game like this against a tough opponent, it\u2019s always like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to win but they have quality as well \u2013 behind, in the middle, up front. That\u2019s the Premier League, that\u2019s why it\u2019s the toughest league in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus now has a fortnight to recuperate and continue to build fitness, while fellow striker Eddie Nketiah gets his first taste of senior international football.<\/p>\n
England Under-21s\u2019 all-time top scorer has been named in Gareth Southgate\u2019s squad for the first time having scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, competition is always good \u2013 for me and for him,\u201d Jesus said. \u201cIn all positions when you have competition it\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom day one, I\u2019m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing. It\u2019s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongrats to him, he\u2019s doing so well and he deserves to be called into the England national team.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me personally, it\u2019s good competition. It\u2019s always good for the club because for sure he\u2019s making me better and I\u2019m making him better as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Arsenal return to action at Everton on September 17, with United back in action the previous day as they look to return to winning ways at home to Brighton.<\/p>\n
Manager Erik ten Hag said: \u201cWe have to improve, definitely. But you see, and also what we have seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been our side.\u201d<\/p>\n