Gabriel Jesus was included in Arsenal's squad for the first time since November for Sunday's Premier League meeting with London rivals Fulham.

Arsenal made the short trip to Craven Cottage with the aim of restoring their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the division.

Manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of the game he had yet to make a decision on whether Jesus would be involved, having only returned to full training this week.

But the Brazil international, whose most recent club appearance came in a 2-0 win at Wolves on November 12, was named among Arsenal's substitutes.

Jesus had scored five goals in 14 Premier League appearances for Arsenal prior to sustaining a knee injury which required surgery while away on World Cup duty.

Leandro Trossard was deemed fit enough to start against Fulham after missing the 2-2 Europa League last-16 first-leg draw with Sporting CP in midweek.

Arteta made five changes in all from that match, with captain Martin Odegaard also returning after recovering from illness.

 

Eighth-place Fulham, who were seeking a first win over Arsenal in 10 league meetings, made two changes for the contest.

The big news was the absence of ex-Arsenal man Willian from their squad, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid coming into the XI. Tosin Adarabioyo replaced Issa Diop in the other change.

Manor Solomon, who had scored in each of his past five appearances in all competitions, retained his place in the starting line-up.

Arsenal had won all four of their away London derbies in the league this season prior to facing Fulham, doing so by an aggregate 8-0 scoreline.

 

Fulham XI: Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Lukic; De-Cordova Reid, Pereira, Solomon; Mitrovic.

Subs: Rodak, Wickens, Wilson, James, Vinicius, Diop, Francois, Harris, Robinson. 

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Subs: Turner, Tierney, Jesus, Smith Rowe, Holding, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson.

Gabriel Jesus trained alongside his Arsenal team-mates ahead of Thursday's meeting with Sporting CP as the striker eyes a return to action following a three-month injury lay-off.

Jesus made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Manchester City last July, helping Arsenal to the Premier League summit, but he has not played since suffering a knee injury in December.

Having undergone surgery on the injury – which he sustained while representing Brazil at the World Cup – Jesus returned to light training last month.

While Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Jesus was "not far" from a return ahead of Saturday's thrilling 3-2 win over Bournemouth, he added the 25-year-old had "much more to do" before he could be reintegrated into the matchday squad.

On Wednesday, however, Arsenal were handed a huge boost as Jesus was pictured training outside with his team-mates ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Sporting.

Jesus has scored five goals in 14 Premier League outings for Arsenal and laid on five assists, a tally only bettered by Bukayo Saka (nine) and Martin Odegaard (six) among his Gunners team-mates this season.

After travelling to Lisbon for the first leg of their last-16 tie with Sporting, Arsenal go to Fulham for their next Premier League outing on Sunday, bidding to extend a five-point advantage over City at the top of the table.

Gabriel Jesus is closing in on an Arsenal return after four months on the sidelines, but the Premier League leaders will not have the striker available for Saturday's meeting with Bournemouth.

Jesus made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Manchester City last year, but he has not played since suffering a knee injury while representing Brazil at the World Cup in December. 

The 25-year-old returned to light training last month, and while his first club outing since November is not imminent, Arsenal fans will not have to wait much longer to see him in action.

Manager Mikel Arteta said of Jesus at Friday's pre-Bournemouth press conference: "He's not far now. I don't want to give a timeline – he's not very close, but he's not far at all, and he's feeling better every day. 

"The doctors are confident with the way the injury is evolving and we are in a good place with him, I think.

"It's been pretty straightforward. Obviously at the start we were really concerned about the extent of the injury. Thankfully it was not that bad, but it was a long-term injury and required surgery.

"Knowing Gabi, he's gone through this before. His mentality is just incredible and I think the team has done a good job to put him in the position he's in today."

Asked if Jesus could play before the international break later this month, Arteta added: "We don't know. We're not far away but he needs to do much more with the team.

"Lets see how the next week or 10 days develop, then we'll have a much better picture."

Despite Jesus' absence, Arsenal are five points clear at the summit after winning seven of their 11 Premier League games since the World Cup.

Arteta is proud of his players' reaction to Jesus' injury, with Eddie Nketiah among those to have stepped up to fill the void up top.

"That was a huge blow for the team. We knew the importance of Gabi and the way he transformed this period and the belief," Arteta said.

"But to be fair, the team made a step forward and players took more responsibility individually. They were keen to maintain the level and we have done it so far.

"What he was producing for the team was phenomenal. But it's true that we now need to see what level he comes back at, how we are going to fit him in. 

"Like everybody else he will have to earn his place, but we know what Gabi can give to the team, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, two other stars of Arsenal's bid for a first league title since 2004 – Bukayo Saka and William Saliba – have entered the final 18 months of their contracts with the Gunners, who are keen to tie them down to long-term deals.

Arteta, however, is unwilling to publicly discuss their futures until Arsenal's title charge is concluded.  

"Every player is very important. Obviously there are players with special circumstances contractually, and we are trying to deal with them," he said.

"But I don't want to cause any distractions in this moment with those conversations. When something is done and it's good news, we will announce it."

Thomas Partey could return when Arsenal face Leicester City on Saturday and Mikel Arteta revealed Gabriel Jesus is "progressing well."

Partey missed the Gunners' defeat to Manchester City and the win at Aston Villa due to a muscle injury.

The midfielder, who has started all 18 of the league games he has been available for this season, may be back at the King Power Stadium this weekend, though, as the Gunners attempt to remain top of the Premier League table.

Arteta told reporters on Friday: "Thomas hasn't trained much, but looks like he could be available. Let's see how he trains today.

"He's a really important player for us, hopefully he can be available."

Jesus has been out since suffering a knee injury while he was on Brazil duty at the World Cup in December, but Arteta has provided an encouraging update on the striker's recovery.

"He's progressing really well. He's doing more and more on the field and he's not reacting [negatively], so that's really positive," Arteta said of Jesus.

"We want to have him as quickly as possible but also respect the timeframe we got from the doctor and the specialists. He's really pushing the boundaries right now."

Arsenal are two points clear of City with a game in hand after coming from behind twice to beat Villa 4-2 before the champions drew at Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United are only five points adrift of the Gunners, however, and Arteta does not believe it is a two-horse race for the title.

He said: "I think there are more teams involved and every day is going to be a race. Today it's how we convince those players to train better, to play better against Leicester.

"We're going to have to be really good to beat them, especially with the way they've been playing in the last few weeks."

Brendan Rodgers saluted "game changers" Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of Leicester City's Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners are two points clear at the summit with a game in hand on second-place Manchester City heading into their final 15 matches of the campaign.

Their quest for a first domestic title in 19 years has been boosted by the performances of former Man City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium in pre-season.

Jesus scored twice and provided two assists in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leicester in August, though the Brazil international will miss the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the versatile Zinchenko has played 20 times under Mikel Arteta this term, and Rodgers praised the impact of both players.

"I think [Arsenal have] had a fantastic season up until now," the Foxes head coach said. "I think that you sensed right at the very beginning of the season when we played [them], they'd signed the two players that were a game changer for them in terms of mentality.

"When you've got the likes of Kieran Tierney on the bench – who's an outstanding player – because of Zinchenko playing, then it really shows you the quality of the squad that they have.

"But I think Zinchenko and Jesus coming in really will have helped, and given [them] that mindset. [William] Saliba coming in at the back and obviously the other players then improve, and so I think that they played very well on that day.

"Whenever we got close to them, we made mistakes, which gave them a cushion in the game. But you could see in that early part of the season that there was a good feeling around the place and that's continued through the season.

"I think Mikel [Arteta] has done a fantastic job with them, and, okay, still a long way to go – 15 games to go – but they've had a very, very good season so far."

Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Jesus are back in light training ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Brentford.

Smith Rowe has missed most of the 2022-23 season with groin and thigh injuries, making just six appearances for the Gunners, all from the bench.

Speaking to the media before Saturday's game at Emirates Stadium, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Smith Rowe is among a trio of injured players back in training, but he did say the midfielder will still not be available for the weekend.

"The ones that were [out for a] long time, like Emile, Reiss [Nelson] and Gabi [Jesus], they are closer," he said. "They started to do some work outside, but they are not ready to contribute yet."

The eventual return of Jesus will also be a boost for the league leaders, with the Brazilian having played a key role in firing Arsenal up the table earlier in the campaign, but Arteta does not want to rush him back.

"We need to respect some timelines and some processes, but he is doing really well," the manager said. "You have to see now when you put some load on that knee and put some movement and how he reacts."

Arteta also insisted his team's "only focus is on Brentford tomorrow" and refused to be drawn on the Premier League's decision to refer title rivals Manchester City to an independent commission for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

The Spaniard previously worked at City under Pep Guardiola and said he did not see anything untoward while at the club.

Meanwhile, Arteta spoke effusively about how much he values people who bring energy, referring to himself as an "energy giver".

"As a young manager, I love energy," he said. "I am an energy giver, I don't like energy suckers.

"I like people who give energy in many different ways. Sometimes it's with body language, with tone of voice, hugging people, looking for solutions and not excuses. I love energy."

Arteta also spoke of his admiration for Folarin Balogun, who is enjoying a productive loan spell in Ligue 1 this season.

The 21-year-old striker has scored 15 goals in 23 games for Reims, and the boss of his parent club explained the decision to send him to France.

"[I am] so happy for him," he said. "He's a boy with a really clear idea of what he wants to do in his career. And he's really brave. We discussed before whether it was the right place to go, and I'm really pleased for him.

"Obviously when you look at the numbers and what he's doing, it's incredible, but he's got something special, that's why we gave him a long-term contract."

Mikel Arteta wants Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah to put together a consistent run to help Premier League leaders Arsenal cope with Gabriel Jesus' absence.

The trio all scored in Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham on Boxing Day, and the Gunners are now certain to end 2022 at the top of the table after building a five-point lead over Manchester City.

Jesus was ruled out for three months after suffering a knee injury during the World Cup, in what could prove a blow to their title hopes.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, Arteta demanded that Martinelli, Saka and Nketiah keep the standards high.

"It's just one game. They have to show the consistency and the capacity to do that every three days," Arteta said in a press conference.

"That's what we need from the players. Obviously we had a big blow with Gabi, and not having him had a big impact on the team.

"We always said Eddie had the quality and he just needed the opportunities to show that.

"We are really happy with where we are, but as I always said, there are a lot of things we can still do better and improve."

Meanwhile, Arteta expects to have another attacking option available soon, revealing Emile Smith Rowe is closing in on a return from the groin injury he suffered in September.

"He's made some big steps in the last week or so, he took part in a few training sessions lately and is looking good," Arteta said.

"We are really keen to have him back soon."

The Gunners are locked in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk, having reportedly had a £57million (€64.4m) bid for the winger rejected.

Shakhtar director Carlo Nicolini said the Ukrainian team expect to receive a fee closer to £100m (€113.2m) for the 21-year-old, who has been touted as a future Ballon d'Or candidate by Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, his former coach.

However, Arteta was reluctant to discuss the potential transfer, saying: "I can't talk about players that aren't at Arsenal."

Mikel Arteta and Bukayo Saka were overjoyed after Eddie Nketiah made a promising start to his spell deputising for the injured Gabriel Jesus in Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham.

The Premier League leaders returned to top-flight action on Boxing Day following the World Cup, aiming to pick up where they left off prior to the tournament.

Many had written off their title chances as a result of Jesus sustaining a knee injury in Qatar that will rule him out for three months.

But Monday's win will ensure they are seven points clear at the summit at least until Manchester City play Leeds United on Wednesday.

Nketiah more than played his part in the victory, scoring Arsenal's third goal as they came from behind in the second half.

Saka, who netted the Gunners' equaliser, was thrilled for his fellow Arsenal youth product after silencing the doubters.

Asked about Arsenal spreading the goals around the team, Saka told Prime Video: "That's definitely important. 

"Obviously Gabby [Jesus] is going to be a big miss, but you could see I'm so happy for Eddie.

"I feel like we all believed in him, that's all he needs, us to just keep supporting him. He got his goal and that will give him a lot of confidence, so we just need to keep encouraging him.

"Of course, then we've got me, Gabby [Gabriel Martinelli], Granit [Xhaka], Martin [Odegaard], even the centre-backs are chipping in on the goals, so everyone is going to be so important."

Nketiah's goal was greeted by jubilant celebrations, with the delight in Saka's voice after the game very much present in those scenes.

Arteta was just as elated and hopes this goal on what was his first Premier League start of the season helps Nketiah kick on.

"I just gave him a big hug because he deserved that, he totally earned it with the way he played," Arteta added.

"It was a very typical Eddie Nketiah goal. He showed his strength, quality and timing, the composure of the finish. For me, it was an outstanding performance from him.

"You could feel in the last few games he'd been trying but didn't score, even in friendlies, but he has the capacity to do that. We see it every day in training, and that will give him confidence.

"He showed it last year, at the end of last season when we played him more consistently... when you look at his numbers, they are really, really good. I am really pleased to see what he's done today."

But while Jesus will seemingly be missing from the pitch until at least February, Saka credited the Brazilian for having a strong off-field influence.

The same has been said of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who also joined Arsenal from Manchester City in pre-season, and Arteta is adamant the pair have brought more than just quality on the pitch.

"They've been in probably the most successful team the Premier League has seen for many, many years," he said.

"They have the belief in their team-mates and what we are doing, that we are able to play to those standards, and these guys have brought this confidence to the team."

Arsenal made light of Gabriel Jesus' absence as each of the Gunners' attacking trio scored in Boxing Day's 3-1 win over West Ham on their return to Premier League action.

The blow of losing Jesus for three months due to a knee injury suffered during the World Cup had seen many write off the league leaders' title chances, but at Emirates Stadium their mentality shone through.

Arsenal – who had a fifth-minute Bukayo Saka goal wiped out – looked to be in trouble when Said Benrahma scored a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

But their dominance eventually brought chances, and while they benefited from a hint of luck, Saka coolly levelled before Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah secured a deserved win.

Nketiah, the man tasked with replacing Jesus, was encouragingly key in the build-up to the early disallowed Saka goal.

But Arsenal initially missed the Brazilian's presence, with their only other first-half chance seeing Martin Odegaard scuff wide from close range in the 24th minute.

They then conceded from the next meaningful attack.

William Saliba was penalised for a desperate lunge on Jarrod Bowen, and Benrahma converted emphatically from the spot.

An Arsenal penalty was overturned on the stroke of half-time, with the ball striking Aaron Cresswell's face rather than his arm.

West Ham's resistance ended early in the second half, though, Saka controlling Odegaard's miscued shot and sweeping past Lukasz Fabianski.

The Hammers' goalkeeper was arguably culpable when beaten at his near post five minutes later, Martinelli blasting goalwards after darting beyond Vladimir Coufal.

And Nketiah fittingly completed the scoring, cleverly spinning away from Thilo Kehrer before finishing clinically into the bottom-left corner.

It may sound bizarre in practically every way, but the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day following its mid-season World Cup break.

Barely eight days on from the World Cup final in Qatar, England's top flight returns with no one able to afford a sluggish resumption.

Of course, much has changed since Premier League teams were last in action in early November, and in one respect nowhere is that truer than at Arsenal.

Although top of the table, the Gunners are now without the man that many felt was key in transforming their fortunes this season, with Gabriel Jesus facing a significant spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Their season resumes at home to West Ham on Monday, with all eyes on how well they adapt without the Brazilian.

Boxing Day omens

The festive period is usually fairly unpredictable due to the sheer number of games teams have to play in December. The circumstances are obviously a little different this year.

With that in mind, most players should be fairly fresh, even considering those midweek EFL Cup exploits.

Perhaps then Arsenal will be even more confident of continuing their excellent record on Boxing Day, having last lost at home on December 26 in 1987. That is a run of 13 games without defeat – the last 10 of those were victories.

West Ham's recent record couldn't be much more different, having won just one of their past eight Boxing Day games – home or away – with a defeat of Swansea City in Wales six years ago the exception.

Does form matter?

If we rewind to early November, Arsenal were flying.

They won each of their previous nine Premier League home games before the season's break, with six of those wins coming this season.

Victory on Monday would equal their longest winning home run from the start of a top-flight campaign after also winning their first seven in 1934-35, 2005-06 and 2017-18.

Arsenal won their last three league matches, including at Chelsea and at Wolves, by an aggregate score of 8-0; they have not won four in a row without conceding since May 2014.

And to top it all off, West Ham lost each of their three most recent games to leave them with 11 away losses for the calendar year, last losing as many as 12 back in 2013.

But those respective runs and streaks were last added to roughly six weeks ago, so how much will they really count for? Certainly, for West Ham, the only way is up.

Gunned down

Hammers boss David Moyes has a generally dreadful record against the so-called top six.

It's become a bit of a feature in the Premier League, and Monday's trip to Arsenal puts his record back in the spotlight.

He has lost more away games against Arsenal in all competitions than he has any other opponent (17).

Further to that, he has only faced Chelsea (23 matches) on the road more often without ever winning than he has the Gunners (21).

Can Moyes finally end his Arsenal hoodoo?

Nketiah looks to answer the call

Jesus' absence for Arsenal is more than just about a goals output.

The Brazilian's haul of five in 14 Premier League games this term is hardly the stuff of legend, but he has offered so much to Arsenal's general play, bringing an ability to conjure something out of nothing and giving them a feisty edge in attack.

Eddie Nketiah will likely be the one to profit from Jesus' absence in terms of first-team minutes. The two players are significantly different, but the young Englishman might argue he will bring more of a goal threat.

 

In his previous 10 starts across all competitions at Emirates Stadium, Nketiah has scored 10 goals from just 15 shots on target.

Before this run, Nketiah netted only three goals in his first 10 home starts for Arsenal.

No one expects him to fully replace Jesus' influence, but helping the Gunners kick-start the season again with a positive impact against West Ham could be the reassurance some Arsenal fans need while awaiting the Brazil forward's return.

Oleksandr Zinchenko expects "true warrior" Gabriel Jesus to return "much strong than before" after his injury but has backed Eddie Nketiah to step up for Arsenal in the meantime.

Mikel Arteta's side will resume their Premier League campaign five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table after impressing before the World Cup break.

Arsenal host West Ham on Monday, but they will do so without Jesus after the Brazil forward underwent knee surgery following an injury in Qatar.

Zinchenko, who joined Arsenal with Jesus from Manchester City in the last transfer window, vowed his team-mate will return stronger as he encouraged the Gunners to step up in his absence.

"He's one of the leaders in our team. He's a true warrior," the Ukraine international told the club's official website. 

"I have no doubts he'll be back much stronger than before, knowing him personally and knowing his character. As a team, we need to stick together."

Nketiah is likely to lead the line in Jesus' absence after largely playing a back-up role within Arteta's squad.

The 23-year-old scored five goals in the final seven league games of last season, though, and Zinchenko believes he will prove a capable replacement.

"I have no doubts that Nketiah is going to do his job amazingly, and everyone trusts him," the defender added. "We have such a great group of people. We have this feeling of togetherness."

Zinchenko is no stranger to pressure after winning four Premier League titles with City, and he insists Arsenal will not run out of steam this season.

"I'm just trying to do my job as well as I can. On the pitch, I am giving my 100 per cent," he continued.

"The fans have welcomed me so warmly at this club. I can't be grateful enough for everything they have done and the support I've received from them.

"What I've seen in the past [is] if you have the right attitude and the right behaviour on and off the pitch, you can't be tired physically. You can be only tired in the head – everything is coming from your head.

"If you do all the things right in your routine – your sleep, your food, look after yourself well – and you do everything to prepare your body fresh, if you do everything right, you can't be tired physically."

Arsenal are looking for a player to take them to the "next level" in the January transfer window after losing Gabriel Jesus to injury, says manager Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners entered the World Cup break five points clear of champions Manchester City at the Premier League summit, leading some to tip them as contenders for a first top-flight title since 2004.

Striker Jesus has played a key role for Arsenal this season, but he underwent surgery earlier this month after suffering a knee injury during Brazil's World Cup campaign.

With reports suggesting Jesus could be absent for three months, Arteta is targeting reinforcements – though he will only move for the ideal player. 

"I never gave a date on Jesus – it will take some time, for sure. He's gone through surgery," Arteta said at a press conference to preview Monday's meeting with West Ham.

"We have to be active, we're looking to strengthen the team. This squad does not have the luxury of not maximising every transfer window. 

"It has to be the right player. We need a player that will have an impact and take us to the next level.

"We know where we are in terms of the squad and numbers. We'll be extremely cautious about what we want to do in the window."

Arteta also revealed he had face-to-face contact with the club's hierarchy during the World Cup break, in order to plan for what will likely be a congested second half of the season.

"We are always connected, and that relationship is getting stronger and stronger. It's a very special relationship right now," he said.

"The ambition is there so it's very positive to spend time together. It was spare time, so it was useful to do it in that period.

"We've done our work but the second part of the season will be very different. Matches will come very fast with big congested periods so we have to have a fit, healthy squad to maintain the level that we want.

"There are new coaches and new owners around, so the window will be interesting and we have to be active on it too."

Eddie Nketiah is ready to step in for the injured Gabriel Jesus and stake his claim again within the Arsenal frontline.

Former England youth international Nketiah had appeared to be headed for the exit last season before a slew of late-campaign performances secured his Arsenal future.

With the arrival of Jesus from Manchester City, though, Nketiah has found himself down the pecking order as Arsenal have pushed on to top the Premier League.

However, an injury on World Cup duty with Brazil has seen Jesus sidelined following knee surgery, opening the door for his team-mate, who is prepared to seize his chance with both hands.

"Of course, it is an opportunity for myself," Nketiah stated. "These things happen in football, unfortunately, so you've just got to be ready for the moment when it comes.

"I have been working hard, I've been working hard all season and I'm sure when I get the opportunity I'll be able to come in and help the team."

Nketiah scored five goals in the club's final seven league games last term and signed a new contract through to 2027 in June.

Arsenal are currently on their mid-season break enforced by Qatar 2022, but are hopeful they can pick up where they left off when the Premier League resumes.

Arteta's men sit five points clear of rivals City at the top of the pile, with both teams having a game in hand on fellow top-four outfits Newcastle United and Tottenham.

They resume their campaign in a London derby against West Ham on Boxing Day, before facing Brighton and Hove Albion on New Year's Eve.

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will "look at the options" with Gabriel Jesus reportedly sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery on his knee.

The Brazil forward was ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup after sustaining the injury during the Selecao's Group G clash with Cameroon.

According to unconfirmed reports in Brazil, Jesus will be absent for three months, while Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday confirmed he has started his rehabilitation programme.

The 25-year-old has played a key role in the Gunners' impressive start to the season, which sees them five points clear at the summit after 14 games.

Jesus' tally of five goals is only bettered for Arsenal by Martin Odegaard (six), while only Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (nine) and team-mate Bukayo Saka (six) have registered more assists in the English top flight than his five.

With the January transfer window approaching, Arteta revealed the club are exploring possibilities on how to deal with the setback in the most constructive manner.

"What it affects is who we are as a team because he gives us so much," the Spaniard said. "So what we can do after that, when we know the timescale [of his recovery] and when we can have him back, we will look at the options and try to make the right decision.

"I feel like my squad is really good. Unfortunately, we've had injuries, and we will try to see what we can do to be strong. We have players, we have a lot of accompanying players.

"[The question is] do we have the players that can give us the performances and the consistency that we need to maintain and improve from where we are?"

Arsenal resume their title tilt with a home clash against West Ham on December 26, having won six from six at Emirates Stadium in the league this term. 

Granit Xhaka admits it is a huge blow for Arsenal to lose Gabriel Jesus to injury but is confident the Gunners can compete in his absence, offering his support to likely replacement Eddie Nketiah.

Jesus suffered a knee injury in Brazil's World Cup loss to Cameroon, ruling him out of the remainder of the tournament and leading to surgery – with the expectation he will face two to three months out.

It hands Mikel Arteta a huge blow ahead of the Gunners' resumption of their Premier League title push on Boxing Day, with the former Manchester City forward quickly establishing himself as an integral member of the squad.

While Jesus faces an extended period out, Xhaka believes it is a "small injury" for him to cope with and vowed to support his teammate in his recovery.

"I spoke with him straight after the Cameroon game. We have the contact between each other, with all the players we have here in the World Cup," he told reporters.

"It's a shame because you saw in the first round of the Premier League how important he is for us. I don't know how big the injury is, maybe two or three months, I think.

"But he is a strong guy. It’s a small injury for him I think, and we will support him. He knows that we are behind him and hopefully we can get him back as quick as possible."

Jesus' injury could see Arsenal turn to Nketiah to lead the line.

Nketiah is yet to score in 12 substitute appearances in the Premier League this term but finished the last campaign strongly, earning a fresh contract after scoring five goals in the final seven top-flight matches.

Xhaka believes Nketiah has the capability to fill the void in the Gunners' attack and is "looking forward" to helping the 23-year-old in the months ahead.

"We have the option with Eddie, of course. He showed great games as well in the past and we need to support Gabi first," he added.

"We need to support Eddie as well, because he will be a big, big part of the next two or three months. But I am looking forward because we have the quality to bring Eddie there and to help him.

Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign on Boxing Day with a London derby against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium.

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