ARSENAL paid tribute to star Gabriel Jesus ahead of the north London derby by wearing shirts with his name on them and unveiling a mural.
Jesus, 27, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the Gunners' FA Cup third round penalty defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
The forward was stretchered off the pitch in the first half of the match at the Emirates Stadium after landing on the floor after losing his balance following a push in the back from Bruno Fernandes.
Jesus was replaced by Raheem Sterling before it was announced he had suffered an ACL blow to his left knee, which would see him miss the rest of the season.
Ahead of the crucial match with arch-rivals Tottenham, Mikel Arteta's side wore shirts with the name “G. Jesus” next to his shirt number, 9, as they shook hands with their rivals.
On the back of the shirt was a get well soon message that read: “Stay strong Gabby.”
A mural dedicated to Jesus by artist Northbanksy was also unveiled outside the Emirates Stadium.
And after 90 minutes, Arsenal also provided Jesus with the perfect recovery tonic by beating Spurs 2-1.
The Brazilian is said to be a very popular figure within the Arsenal squad, having first joined from Manchester City in 2022.
Jesus had scored seven goals this season and scored two goals from 27 appearances in all competitions.
A statement from the club announcing his injury said: “After being substituted through injury during our match against Manchester United on Sunday, Gabriel Jesus has received extensive assessments, scans and specialist assessments which have confirmed that he has sustained an injury suffered a cruciate ligament in his left knee.
“Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery and rehabilitation program.
“We will continue to keep everyone updated on Gabby's recovery, with everyone at the club fully focused on supporting Gabby to ensure he returns to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Jesus' injury adds to the absence of talisman Bukayo Saka and prodigy Ethan Nwaneri in attack.
Sterling was named in the starting XI for the clash, along with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in attack.
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