It's taken far longer than anyone planned, least of all him, but on Tuesday night Gabriel Jesus can finally bring up a century in red and white. His 100th appearance for Arsenal comes against the most obliging of old acquaintances: Crystal Palace.
Palace again. Of course it's Palace.
This time last year, they were the unfortunate backdrop for Jesus' re-emergence. Five goals in four days – a League Cup hat-trick followed by a Premier League brace – a reminder that class doesn't vanish, it just waits. Now, after 11 months lost to an ACL rupture, the Brazilian is edging back to something dangerously familiar.
And the signs? Very encouraging.
Jesus hasn't started since his return, but in cameos against Club Brugge, Wolves and Everton, he's looked sharp, hungry and mischievous. The kind of player who doesn't just play football – he irritates defenders. Touches everywhere. Little spins. Flicks. Movement that asks questions centre-backs hate answering.
That's what makes the current striker debate so fascinating.
If Viktor Gyökeres is Arsenal's battering ram – straight lines, straight runs, straight answers – then Jesus is the dance. Gyökeres waits for the ball. Jesus goes looking for chaos. One looks built for winter nights and penalty boxes. The other for tight spaces and broken defensive shapes. Try picturing Gyökeres at Carnival in Rio. Exactly.
The numbers underline it. Over the last three matches, Gyökeres has played 208 minutes, touched the ball 45 times and completed 10 passes. Jesus? Just 62 minutes, but 51 touches and 28 passes. One occupies space. The other connects it.
That difference is exactly why Mikel Arteta once said Jesus "changed our world". Not just goals – belief, energy, cohesion. A facilitator, not a finisher. As Gabriel Martinelli put it: "He loves to link up, to move and to rotate… one of the best strikers in the world."
There are three very real motivations driving Jesus now. First, Gyökeres' form wobble and Kai Havertz's injury leave the door ajar. Second, Brazil. The No 9 shirt isn't exactly nailed down, and at his best Jesus walks into that conversation ahead of Richarlison and company. Third, his future. One year left on his deal come summer. Play well now and he controls the narrative – stay, extend, or leave on his terms.
He's made his stance clear. "I have unfinished business at Arsenal… I am here to make history."
Only a fool wrote him off during the long months on the sidelines. Inside the club, they know exactly what's been missing.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has been doing unexpected PR work for Gyökeres, praising the unseen graft – centre-backs pinned, space created, dirty work done. And he's not wrong. Even on a quiet day, Gyökeres' penalty against Everton mattered. If Arsenal lift the league, he'll have played his part.
Rooney also couldn't resist tipping Declan Rice as England's future captain – and after that Everton display, it was hard to argue.
But Tuesday night isn't about long-term projections or future armbands.
It's about Gabriel Jesus, Palace in front of him, 100 games deep, and a reminder waiting to happen.
The weapon is loaded again.
Let's see if Arteta pulls the trigger.
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