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Arsenal fans expressed their excitement online following the inclusion of star striker Gabriel Jesus in the starting XI to face Sporting CP on March 16.
The Gunners will secure their passage into the next round of the Europa League if they secure a win against their Portuguese opponents.
The two teams played out a 2-2 draw in the first-leg in Portugal. However, with the abolition of the away-goal rule in Europe, the second-leg tie is very much open for both teams.
Head coach of the Gunners, Mikel Arteta, has rolled out a very strong lineup for the must-win encounter. Gabriel Jesus will make his first start for the club since suffering a knee injury during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Jesus made his return to club action with a substitute appearance for the Gunners during their 3-0 win over London rivals Fulham on March 12. However, this time around, he has been deemed fit enough to feature from the start against Sporting CP.
Fans on Twitter were ecstatic after seeing Jesus' name in the starting XI for Arsenal. One fan tweeted:
"Gab Gab Gab, how much have i missed this," alongside a heart-eyes emoji.
Another fan wrote:
"Hattrick for Jesus," accompanied by smiling emojis.
Here are some of the reactions from Arsenal fans excited to see their Brazilian striker start against Sporting CP tonight in the Europa League:
"We missed him" - Mikel Arteta reacts to the return of Arsenal striker
The Gunners' head coach was excited about the return of Brazilian striker Jesus from a lengthy knee injury which he picked up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Arteta revealed that the 25-year-old has been missed by Arsenal and that everyone around him is happy to see the striker return from injury.
Arteta said:
"It was great to see him back. You can feel the happiness of everyone. "We missed him and now he's back. We have to manage his minutes, his involvement in the squad and the team."
"He's feeling good and every day he's training. His sensations are better and better, so that's really positive."
The Brazilian international will hope to get his name on the scoresheet and guide Arsenal to a win against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium.
