Gabriel Jesus urges his Arsenal team-mates to enjoy the title race

Oleksandr Zinchenko rolled down his window and began to lead the crowd. The left-back was walking away from the Emirates, where Arsenal had just beaten Crystal Palace to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, when he approached the garden of a packed pub.

Zinchenko honked his horn, pressed the first one, and leaned out the window. And he roared.

Almost at the same time, Gabriel Jesús came out of the locker room to give his own battle cry.

“Now is, in my opinion, the best part of the season,” Jesus said. ‘When you have decisive games, you also have important games, away and at home.

Now is the time that we have to play the same, not change, be together and then we’ll see.

Now is precisely the time for which he and Zinchenko were also hired.

That winning mentality. Those habits and rules. The experience of navigating these roads less traveled. Traits that are missing from Mikel Arteta’s young team.

Qualities which, despite all the pace, spirit and cunning that has led Arsenal to the Premier League title, will be vital in keeping Manchester City at bay.

With 10 games to go, 10 finals as Bukayo Saka said, they remain in the driver’s seat.

“When you have a good relationship with your teammates, everything on the pitch works well,” said the Brazilian. “That’s why we’re first in the league: we’re playing good football, we understand each other.”

Arsenal have two weeks until the next final, Leeds on April 1. It promises to be an anxious wait: after all, during the last international break, the World Cup in Qatar, Jesus suffered the knee injury that has kept him out until now.

“It’s very good to be back,” said the striker, who came on as a substitute in Sunday’s win over Palace.

‘It was a long and very bad injury… it’s not easy to be out for almost four months.

“I prefer to be on the field, help, run, play and help my teammates (more than) than outside. Outside you suffer a lot!

Neither the drought of Jesús – without a goal since October – nor the success of Arsenal in his absence should distract from the importance of this return after months of tears and mental torture. The surgery was just the first step in a long and painful journey to repair the body of a £45m striker who, along with Zinchenko, transformed Arsenal.

Countless ‘experts’, not all of them especially reputable, are claimed to have offered treatments and their two cents.

In the end though, this was a team effort involving Arsenal’s doctors, physiotherapists, sports scientists, strength and conditioning staff, even a soft tissue therapist.

“My family too: my wife, my daughter, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, my friends, everyone who was close to me helped me a lot,” Jesus said. “Also here, the people of the club: the players, the staff, the coach.”

Then there were the demons inside the head of Jesus.

“I think the most important thing was my mind. I tried to stay focused, stay strong, and then come back to full fitness,” she said.

Jesus has only started once since his return.

However, the striker’s presence has already altered the mood and injected another dose of confidence.

In truth, the influence of Jesus never wavered. He was made vice-captain shortly after arriving from the city.

Even as he recovered, he was always there: in the dressing room, on the touchline, in the ear of Eddie Nketiah, who was tasked with filling the yawning void on Arsenal’s front line.

‘I wanted to be involved. During my life, I want to help as many as I can,’ she said. ‘That helped me a lot.’

Jesus added: ‘Now I’m back, fully fit. At the same time I am very happy because the team is doing very well. We keep the distance until the second.

Going into the final stretch, City still have some crucial cards. They have a game in hand. They have the know-how of days like these. They know that Arsenal must visit the Etihad in April.

It promises to be a tough test for the minds of Arsenal. and bodies Just as Jesus returns, the wounds begin to accumulate. Nketiah, Takehiro Tomiyasu, William Saliba and Mohamed Elneny are all on the treatment table. So far this season, Arsenal has been able to cover the cracks that are appearing. No wonder Jesus is reluctant to accept the role of savior.

“The team is doing very well, I think nobody here is the main man,” he said.

‘They are all together. When I got hurt, we were sure that Eddie could go there and help us, and he did. (Leandro) Trossard came in and did it too.

‘So they’re all together, it’s like that. To be champions of this great competition we need not only 11 players.’

Sunday’s win over Palace means Arsenal have already equaled last season’s points tally (69) with 10 games to go.

Unfortunately, in North London, dreaming has given way to belief and that means progress is no longer enough.

You can forgive followers for adjusting their expectations.

You can understand why the return of Jesus gives them even more confidence.

“They have always been good to me, helping me, pushing me,” said the striker.

“The way they did it last Sunday against Fulham (their comeback) was incredible. I will never forget that. The only thing I want is to return it to him on the field, maybe in the next game, I don’t know. But I will help you a lot.