Arteta hopes hat-trick will give Jesus ‘spark’ for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta hopes Gabriel Jesus’ Carabao Cup hat-trick will give the striker the “spark” he needs to rediscover his Premier League goalscoring form.

The Brazil striker scored three second-half goals against Crystal Palace as the Gunners came from behind to reach the semi-finals.

They were his first goals at Emirates Stadium in a year and also only the second game he has scored in this season, following a strike against Preston – also in the EFL Cup – at the end of October.

Jesus has not scored in the Premier League since 30 January and Arteta hopes his treble will spur him to start finding the back of net in the league again to aid Arsenal’s title challenge.

“It’s now about consistency,” said Arteta.

“It’s a moment of spark that will bring so much to the team, that we can rely on him to change games. We need to give him more chances.”

Jesus said after the game that he had been working hard in training to improve his finishing, but knows he must now keep up his scoring form.

“I wear the number nine for Arsenal so I have to be scoring goals,” he told BBC Radio 5 live. “Kai [Havertz] as well, we are the strikers of the team and have a pressure to score.

“If you want to challenge for a place we have to keep scoring. It is not easy, if it was then there would be many strikers in the world, but we keep trying.

“I came here to win the Premier League and my first two seasons we were there but for some details. This third season I want to win.”