Mikel Arteta reflects on how Gabriel Jesus' injury impacted Arsenal's season

Mikel Arteta has opened up about how Arsenal’s 2024–25 campaign was shaped by the loss of Gabriel Jesus to a serious ACL injury.

Speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, the Gunners boss expressed regret over not rotating the Brazilian striker more during a demanding winter period.

Gabriel Jesus’ injury, along with setbacks to fellow attackers Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, left Arsenal short of firepower during a crucial stretch of the season.

The team’s attacking struggles ultimately proved costly, as they fell behind in the title race, allowing Liverpool to secure the Premier League crown with ease.

Reflecting on the campaign, Arteta admitted that the injuries to his key forwards significantly hindered Arsenal’s momentum and contributed to a disappointing finish.

Arteta said: “It’s very difficult now to understand that, if I could pause the game and say, Gabriel Jesus, we brought you back to life. You know, you are doing incredibly well.

“You’re going to now get injured, so stop. I would stop him, bring another player in and continue to play the game. Unfortunately, we cannot do this in football.”

Mikel Arteta’s season now depends entirely on Arsenal’s Champions League run, with a crucial semi-final second-leg fixture against French champions PSG looming on Wednesday.

Arsenal travel to the Parc des Princes with the challenging task of overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg

The atmosphere in Paris is expected to be intense, placing all the pressure on the visitors to secure a result and reach their first Champions League final in nearly two decades.

Martin Odegaard has called on Arsenal to “stick together” following recent setbacks as they look to defy the odds in the decisive Champions League semifinal clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

“We’re disappointed now, but we have to move on and be strong and stick together and prepare for a massive game,” Odegaard said.

“It’s a massive game. That’s the good thing. When you’re disappointed now and you’re angry and frustrated, you can use all those emotions into Wednesday.

“We know what we’re playing for. We have to stick together and create energy and be ready.”