City look to Jesus for inspiration
With Aguero struggling with injury, Guardiola will bank on Brazilian to keep their Champions League bid alive
MANCHESTER: Gabriel Jesus’s return has come at a good time for Man City as they seek to move closer to Champions League qualification by beating Crystal Palace at home on Saturday.
The Brazil striker, 20, has made two appearances since recovering from a broken foot sustained at Bournemouth in February. Having seen a goal disallowed in a 0-0 draw against Manchester United, he grabbed a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough last weekend after being promoted from the bench to the starting line-up.
With Sergio Aguero struggling to recover from a groin problem, there is every chance that Jesus will start again on Saturday as City look to consolidate their top-four position.
FIGHT ON
They are just one point clear of fifth-place Manchester United, who visit out-of-form Arsenal on Sunday, and manager Pep Guardiola knows there is little room for error with only four league matches to play.
Guardiola’s season has hit trouble lately, with those two league draws following an FA Cup semifinal defeat against Arsenal. Indeed, City have won just two of their last eight matches in all competitions.
TOUGH TIME
It has been a tough first year in England for Guardiola, who will finish a season without a trophy for the first time in his coaching career. But whatever the next few weeks bring for City, captain Vincent Kompany believes the club are heading in the right direction.
“Finish strongly now and we give ourselves something to look forward to next season because you want to be in four competitions,” Kompany said.
“Sometimes exceptional seasons are built on seasons like this. The mood’s not great because we are at that time in the season where we need to win games and it didn’t happen on Sunday (at Boro). Now it’s a case of having to finish the last four games really strongly.”