Gabriel Jesus makes Pep Guardiola admission to explain Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Arsenal and Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus has spoken with unusual clarity about his years under Pep Guardiola in a detailed inteview.

The 28-year-old spent five-and-a-half seasons at the Etihad Stadium after joining Manchester City as a teenager in the 2017 January transfer window, making a strong start to life in England and becoming a pivotal player for the Blues in the most successful period of the club’s history.

Jesus joined Arsenal to play regularly in 2022 but has since struggled to replicate the levels he rose to in Manchester and in a recent interview with Globo Esporte, the Brazilian attacker has reflected on his time with Guardiola at City.

His interview with lifts the curtain on an education built on intensity, fierce detail, and emotional strain. The words feel reflective rather than bitter. They show how a young forward grew under one of the most demanding coaches of his era. They also show how that environment shaped his game long after he left Manchester.

“Intense. He is intense. For the good. For the good of football,” Jesus said on Guardiola, as relayed by Sport Witness. “Considering him like a father, I believe it’s not great for his health, because nothing in excess is good.

“He is so intense that he goes past the limit, but that is also his biggest quality. He is intense in everything, and that’s why he is a genius.”

What stands out is how Jesus frames that intensity. He saw a manager who pushed past limits in pursuit of clarity. He saw someone who sharpened every detail until it became instinctive.

Jesus added: “Brazilians arrive young with habits; that’s normal. I controlled the ball with the sole of my foot because I played futsal. He stopped training to correct things. Then it becomes automatic. It makes sense.

“Some days you feel tired mentally from the training demands, the videos, and the information. But you reap the rewards at the end of the season. You arrive fighting for titles.

“Sometimes there is no reason for me to drop to the goalkeeper to get the ball. Sometimes I need to stay on the last line. When I say I don’t want to stay still, I mean not staying 90 minutes stuck up front.”

Jesus described how the challenge under Guardiola was not the style itself but in learning when to move and hold, with forwards often misjudging timing in positional play owing to a temptation to drop deep to help build play from the back. He learnt that this instinct must be controlled under Guardiola.

“He (Guardiola) never asked me to do that,” the Arsenal star added. “But he did ask me to stay higher at times because the ball would come. When it didn’t arrive for a while, I dropped, and he didn’t complain. He knew it was part of my game to create, dribble and combine.”

One memory still carries weight for Jesus, who remembered a time when he had trained as a starter all week to only be pipped by midfielder turned left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko as a false nine. “I cried that day,” Jesus said.

However, all in all, Jesus looks back at his time in Manchester with a smile on his face. “He helped me a lot,” Jesus added. “Gratitude is one of my biggest virtues. He called me, he asked for me, he took me there. He helped me evolve.

“I think I did very well at City. I didn’t leave because of problems with Guardiola or the club. I left because I felt it was time.

“When I meet him, we hug. He kisses my face, we talk. We rarely talk about football. It’s more about family. You can see he cares. And I care a lot about him too. I always root for him. Just not when he plays against us, obviously.”

For Manchester City supporters, these reflections confirm what many suspected. Jesus matured in a school built on pressure and precision. His technical habits carry Guardiola’s signatures. His movement mirrors lessons drilled in cold Manchester mornings. His understanding of space shows tactical hours spent with staff.

At Arsenal, these traits remain part of his identity. The positional awareness. The defensive work. The pressing triggers. The adaptation to Arteta’s shape owes much to Guardiola’s influence. Jesus acknowledges this connection without hesitation.

His words sketch a clear picture. Manchester City shaped him as a professional. Guardiola shaped him as a thinker. The years at the Etihad Stadium forged habits that still guide his decisions. These habits influence how he attacks and how he reads matches. They shaped his composure and his resilience.

Jesus’ interview offers rare insight into life under Guardiola. It highlights intensity that drives development. It shows how demanding days sharpen young players. It reveals tactical lessons that define careers long after departure. It also exposes the emotional weight carried by players in elite squads.

The Brazilian does not romanticise those years. He does not paint them as easy. He presents them as defining. He gives Guardiola credit for growth and guidance. He outlines a relationship built on trust, strain, and respect.

For anyone seeking to understand how Guardiola shapes players, Jesus provides a distinct view. The details, the routine, and the personality all merge into one story. It is the story of a young forward shaped by relentless standards. It is also the story of a coach whose methods leave lasting marks on his players.