Guardiola wants Jesus to play it cool for goals

PEP GUARDIOLA has suggested that if struggling striker Gabriel Jesus calms down in the penalty area he will score more goals.

His only goals this season came against Huddersfield and League One Oxford United but he is hoping for a change of luck against Southampton.

In City’s last game against the Saints, Jesus scored the historic late winner which took Guardiola’s champions to 100 points. Since then the Brazilian, 21, has flopped at the World Cup and fallen well behind Sergio Aguero in the pecking order at City.

Guardiola said: ‘Of course he needs a goal, strikers live for that, but his performance against Fulham was excellent, how he moved, now he created, how he caused problems.

‘People don’t realise a lot of his movements without the ball. For example, our third goal for Bernardo Silva against Donetsk in the Champions League, Gabriel helps the goal. He is a player who gave us a lot. He is a young player, he can still improve, a little more calm inside the box.

‘I am more than satisfied with the way he plays this season but of course strikers need goals to be completely “I am there”. But it is a long season, many things are going to happen.’