William Saliba and Declan Rice left blown away by £45m Arsenal player in 4-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen

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Nine days before their Premier League campaign begins, Arsenal certainly made a statement against Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates, winning 4-1 in emphatic fashion.

Granit Xhaka returned to north London, as did a host of Arsenal’s internationals, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, David Raya and William Saliba.

Interestingly, Kai Havertz began the game as Arsenal’s number eight, playing the Xhaka role in front of Mikel Arteta’s former player.

And in that respect, it felt like another coming-of-age game for the German, who once again proved that he still is an option for Arteta in midfield.

Gabriel Jesus led the line for Arsenal, and the Brazilian looks incredibly motivated right now.

Jesus returned in remarkable shape for Arsenal pre-season – dispelling any thought that the striker was free to leave.

The former Manchester City man should be crucial for Arteta once again this season, who is already enjoying the fruits of a squad with less injuries.

Unfortunately, Arsenal have lost Jurrien Timber to injury again, but the issue should only be brief, and the Dutchman could return against Lyon on Sunday.

Gabriel Jesus is ready to break his Arsenal goal-scoring record this season

As mentioned, Jesus delivered a confidence-inspiring performance, scoring Arsenal’s third goal on the night.

To date, Jesus scored 11 goals in his first campaign at Arsenal, playing 33 games across all competitions in the 2022/23 season.

And last term, the Brazilian managed just eight goals in 36 appearances in all competitions.

Evidently, there’s a lot of room to improve for the 27-year-old who should now be entering his prime.

That being said, after Wednesday’s win, Jesus took to Instagram to celebrate his goal and to look forward to the season ahead.

And perhaps the outpouring of support from his Arsenal teammates was an indicator that they are too hoping that the £45m-striker will deliver his most prolific season yet.

Both Rice and Saliba replied to Jesus’ post, with Frenchman’s reaction seeming to signal that there are big things to come. 

Of course, on the back of Arsenal’s strong summer, there’s renewed belief that the club can beat Man City to the title.

And Harry Redknapp has now shared his prediction for the Premier League winner this season.