Man City given boost by Gabriel Jesus’ timely return but Brazilian’s season truly starts vs Liverpool

Gabriel Jesus is ready, if his spectacular finish for the goal which clinched Manchester City’s victory over Olympiakos is anything to go by.

This was supposed to be a big season for Jesus. It still easily could be, despite the slow start. Jesus began, finished and scored late on in City’s opening game of the Premier League season away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, only to pick up a muscle injury and miss the following six weeks of football.

There is never a good time to get injured but this was particularly unfortunate. Jesus finished last season strongly, scoring four goals in his last five Premier League games of Project Restart plus scoring and assisting in the Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid.

The Brazil international - still touted as the eventual heir to Ronaldo Nazario in his home country, despite a disappointing World Cup two years ago - was also impressive in his general play at the end of last season. Jesus was getting into excellent goal-scoring positions, leading the post-restart charts in expected goals.

That, in fairness, has never been a problem. Jesus has always looked like a special talent when looking at the underlying numbers and not only because he plays for a team managed by Pep Guardiola. His off-the-ball movement and anticipation is arguably second-to-none among young centre-forwards in world football.

Being fast but not explosive, and having never had the most imposing physique, he has always needed to be mentally sharper than opposition defenders. The problem, if anything, has always been his finishing. For a player who takes up excellent scoring positions, his conversion of their chances has disappointed.

Nobody could accuse Jesus of that on Tuesday night. On as a late substitute for Riyad Mahrez with the score at 1-0, he not only secured three points which put City on the verge of the knock-out stages but did so with a quite remarkable finish, taken at a narrow angle put high into the net after creating a yard of space for himself.

It was powerful, it was instinctive and Jesus was delighted. “It’s so good for me,” he beamed in his post-match interview with BT Sport. “I think it was an amazing finish, hard for the ‘keeper.” He was pleased with himself, but not too pleased. “I have to improve my finishing all the time so I am getting better,” he acknowledged.

Guardiola has impressed that fact on Jesus in the past too, but he too was smiling after the final whistle. “It was important, of course,” he said of Jesus’ goal. “The fact he’s back is so important. It’s good news, especially for the striker to score a brilliant goal. But there were good things tonight, I’m delighted with most of the game and happy that Gabriel is back.”

Back just in time, too. City’s start to the season has been a strange one, their attack apparently a little more blunt than usual. We will find out whether that is down to the absences of Jesus and Sergio Aguero or something more systemic in the coming weeks, provided they both stay fit.

The young summer signing Ferran Torres - naturally a winger - has filled in admirably for Jesus and Aguero, scoring four goals in nine appearances including one against Olympiakos. But City’s set-up requires a true focal point, particularly with Liverpool travelling to the Etihad on Saturday.

Jesus enjoys playing against Liverpool. He has three goals against Jurgen Klopp’s side. Of current Premier League clubs, he has only scored more against Everton and Leicester City. It is a decent record, if not spectacular one, and in that sense a bit like the 23-year-old’s City career to date.

But before the injury interruption, there were signs that Jesus was finally about to break out and make good on his immense potential. Even though his appearance on Tuesday was a cameo, he maintained his 100 per cent scoring record. Two games, two goals, but Jesus’ season starts for real on Sunday and he looks ready.