- Shamser Khalid
Sweet Moment Caught Between Pep Guardiola and Gabriel Jesus
In the aftermath of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal, fans spotted Pep Guardiola and Gabriel Jesus having a sweet moment.
What Happened Between the Two?
During the match, Gabriel Jesus was benched due to an injury and could only watch his current and former teams from the sidelines. After Manchester City won against Arsenal 3-1, Guardiola was seen catching up with Jesus. It was the first meeting between the two since the player's departure last summer.
Pep was seen exchanging words with the player. He then pecked the player on the cheek and went in for a friendly hug before heading down the tunnel.
It's unclear what was said between Guardiola and Jesus, but it's speculated that the Spaniard was offering some comfort with his former striker continuing his rehabilitation from a knee injury.
Several supporters captured the sweet moment between the two and shared it on media. One fan commented, "Gabby! Amazing player! Special human being !! Always will support him." While another wrote, "I was so surprised no one made a big deal out of this exchange. Sweet."
Why Was the Scene Significant?
At the time of Gabriel's departure from Manchester City, there were reports that Jesus's relationship with Guardiola went sour towards the end of his stint.
Jesus had even admitted in one interview that he grew tired of Guardiola's demands and that he feels "free" again at Arsenal.
Before leaving the club, Gabriel enjoyed a glittering five-and-a-half-year stint in Manchester. During his time with the club, Jesus picked up four Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and two League Cups. The Brazilian forward was a crucial figure for Guardiola before choosing to reunite with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal last summer.
It was in the aftermath of Erling Haaland's high-profile transfer to the Etihad and City that the player made his switch to Manchester City.
The reason for the switch was that Guardiola could not guarantee a starting berth each week. Thanks to Jesus' goals, the Gunners (Arsenal) have rocketed into title contention as they vie for a first league crown since the Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal Status
Currently, Jesus is out of action after suffering a knee injury at the World Cup. Reports say that it was a medial collateral ligament injury that required surgery. Jesus may return to first-team training in a few weeks after Arteta revealed the 25-year-old returned to the grass to carry out individual sessions.
Arsenal is second in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester City. So far, the club has won sixteen matches out of twenty-two games and has fifty-one points.
The Gunners still have a game in hand and can restore their three-point advantage should they beat Everton on March 2.
Arsenal's next match will be against Aston Villa on February 18. Currently, Aston Villa is 11th in the standings with eight wins so far. Manchester City, meanwhile, will go against Nottingham Forest on the same day. Nottingham is 14th in the standings with only six wins.
