‘We can win the league’ - Arsenal striker urges teammates to overcome fear and bring the EPL title home

Since his move from Manchester City, Jesus has brought a winner's mindset to a youthful Arsenal squad. 

He revealed that when he first arrived and spoke of winning the league, his ambition was met with some scepticism from teammates more accustomed to fighting for a top-four finish.

That doubt has since been replaced by belief, as Mikel Arteta's team has emerged as a serious contender to Manchester City's recent dominance.

The Brazilian forward recalled how some players initially joked about his high expectations, questioning if he had joined the right club for immediate silverware.

"A few of them laughed," Jesus said. "They said, 'Ah, maybe you signed for the wrong club.' I asked them why. With the quality in our team, why couldn’t we go and win the league?" 

Reflecting on his early days at the club, Jesus noted a significant evolution in the team's internal expectations. He believes the group has matured emotionally after the experience of recent title challenges.

"It’s a process that you have to respect," Jesus explained to The Athletic. "We’ve gone from fighting hard to qualify for the Champions League to fighting for the title. 

“We need to be happy about that. Our team is now more experienced and more mature. We can win the league this season and maybe another trophy as well."

While acknowledging the fans' 20-year wait for a Premier League title, Jesus also highlighted the allure of European glory. 

"They also never won the Champions League, so obviously for them it’s a dream to win both. Me, I want to win everything, but if I have to choose, it’s the Champions League."

Despite their strong position in the league, Jesus is conscious of the painful memories from previous seasons where late collapses proved costly. 

"When you have [success], you can be scared of losing it," Jesus observed. "We still don’t have it, so we cannot be scared. We cannot lose something we don’t have. We need to go out there, game by game, and try to win."

Arsenal remains in the hunt for four major trophies: the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. Their next major test comes in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, followed by an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Southampton.