Gabriel Jesus marked his Champions League debut for Barcelona in stunning fashion, scoring just two minutes and 12 seconds after coming off the bench against Feyenoord.
The Brazilian forward, who joined the La Liga giants from Arsenal in a £8.6 million deal, helped complete a resounding 5-1 victory at the Nou Camp.
Jesus netted the fifth and final goal of the evening for Hansi Flick’s side, continuing his encouraging start to life in Spain following his move earlier in September.
It was his second appearance for Barcelona, having previously come off the bench against Valencia at the weekend to make his initial debut for the club.
After the match, Jesus shared an image of himself celebrating the goal on social media, prompting a warm response from former Arsenal teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Ukrainian left-back, who also departed the Gunners, responded with a red heart comment and an applauding emoji beneath the post.
The goal came shortly after Jesus had spoken candidly about his final days at Arsenal, appearing to take aim at the club’s handling of his departure.
Jesus, 29, had spent four years at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 32 goals across 123 appearances and helping the club win the Premier League title last season.
He had fallen behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres in the striking pecking order, and Arsenal were keen to move him on before the summer transfer window closed.
Despite reported interest from Napoli and Atletico Madrid, it was Barcelona sporting director Deco who ultimately secured the forward’s signature on September 1.
Speaking to SportyTV about the circumstances surrounding his exit, Jesus said: “So, the truth is, I was training, I did all the pre-season with Arsenal as normal. Obviously, I knew already that probably I would not play there or get many opportunities, but nobody told me nothing.”
He elaborated further on the situation, adding: “Well, I am a professional. Obviously, I was training with the group. Then, from nothing, they put me to train away from the group.”
Jesus concluded by reflecting on how quickly events moved toward his eventual transfer, saying: “Then, obviously, in the last week, it was very quick. The work with Deco, the president of the club, and my agent was amazing.”
