On Sunday afternoon at Selhurst Park, Gabriel Jesus was handed little more than a cameo. But for him, 15 minutes was more than enough to show the captivating combination of grit and quality that have thrust him back into the limelight and made him so valuable to Manchester City in 2019. It was not that every single one of his touches was technically perfect. The freekick that led to Crystal Palace’s solitary goal came after Jesus had given possession away cheaply near the halfway line. But throughout that quarter of an hour, he fought for the ball incessantly and ran after every lost cause. It was the sort of show of desire and determination that has defined his year. And in the end, his resolve was rewarded. As the game drifted into injury time, Manchester City’s number 33 ran onto Kevin de Bruyne’s pass, skipped past the lunging Luka Milivojevic, gave Vicente Guaita the eyes and tucked the ball in at the near post. Guardiola jumped up and down on the touchline. In the neck-and-neck title race with Liverpool, he knew how vital it was to secure the three points in an away trip to a team that had beaten City at the Etihad Stadium in December. It also underlined Jesus’ importance to the squad. He has not been his side’s first-choice striker at any point this season, but at a club that already has one trophy in the cabinet and is still in the chase for three more, it is necessary to have players capable of making an impact when called upon. And in the young Brazilian, they have one of the most talented back-up strikers in world football.
That strike against Palace was his 21st for club and country in a campaign in which he has only started 20 games. Admittedly, some of those efforts have come against inferior opposition in the League and FA Cups. But last weekend’s match-winner against Brighton single-handedly secured City a place in the final of the latter competition and there have now been seven goals in the Premier League.