Gabriel Jesus says there's only one reason why Arsenal lost the Premier League last season, which should not repeat itself again this coming season. -alleplnews

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus says the absence of William Saliba during the second half of last season played a crucial part in them missing out on the title.For much of the 2022/23 campaign, Mikel Arteta's side were flying high at the Premier League summit. In fact, on January 18, Arsenal had an eight point lead over rivals Manchester City.

The Gunners also recorded seven consecutive league wins between February 18 and April 1 but during that run, a serious injury to one of the club's best performers put a dent in their title charge.

William Saliba would miss two months of the season after picking up a muscle injury in his lower back during the first-half of their Europa League defeat to Sporting CP in March.

His absence was noticeable, to say the least. Having started every Premier League game for Arsenal before injuring his back, the pacey Saliba was arguably Arsenal's most important player.

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Somebody who understands the impact of Saliba's absence during those crucial stages of the season is teammate Gabriel Jesus, who has given an honest assessment of the situation this week.

Speaking to YouTube channel Denílson Show – a podcast hosted by former Brazil international Denilson – the 26-year-old forward pinpointed the moment when Arsenal lost their grip in the Premier League title race.

As translated by Twitter user Renato, Jesus said: “When he [Saliba] plays, we concede few goals, when he doesn't play, the number (goals conceded) increases.