Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta lauds 'huge' Gabriel Jesus boost amid Man City title race

The return of Gabriel Jesus to the Arsenal squad has been hailed as a "huge" boost to the Gunners' Premier League title ambitions.

The striker was named on the bench for Sunday's top-flight trip to Fulham having not played since picking up a knee injury at last year’s World Cup. The 25-year-old moved to the Emirates from Manchester City in the summer and scored five goals in 14 league games for Arsenal, helping lay the foundations for their title challenge.

And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is in no doubt how much of a lift the Brazil international can give his side heading into the final months of the season.

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"Huge," said Arteta, speaking ahead of the Craven Cottage clash. "His presence is huge, he is a huge player for us. He has changed our dynamic, he has changed our belief, he has put the team in a different status so it is great to have him back."

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright agreed with the Gunners chief and feels Jesus can prove a key player as Arteta's men battle City for the title.

"It's a massive boost with the team still in contention at this stage of the season and now he's back," said Wright, in his role as a Premier League pundit. "We've been able to give him the time to get himself back so he can make a contribution at the end of the season when we need him most. It's going to give the team a massive amount of confidence knowing he can come off the bench if we need him to."

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