Gabriel Jesus says confidence is returning after stellar showing against Norwich

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus says he is getting back to his best after a man-of-the-match performance against Norwich.

The Brazil forward, playing in a wide-right position, made three of City’s goals in their 5-0 hammering of the Canaries, forcing an early own goal from Tim Krul and setting up Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling with crosses from the right.

Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez completed the rout as City got their season up and running after opening 1-0 defeats in the Community Shield to Leicester and Premier League to Tottenham.

Jesus has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer in order for City to raise funds to try and sign Spurs striker Harry Kane and has been something of a forgotten man.

But Pep Guardiola cited his importance and Jesus is feeling good after his international exertions with Brazil.

“I am getting my fitness back because I think I was the last one to come back from holidays,” he said. “After, I needed to train hard always, but I don’t lose too much power.

“I am a little bit lucky because I don’t lose too much so I can come back, train twice and get back. Now I am fit. I feel good.

“I am getting my confidence and my energy back. I like to play all of the time, wherever the manager tries to play me, I will try to do my best always.

“For my national team now, I play more on the right side so I think I can play there. We have a lot of good strikers, wingers as well, Riyad and Raheem came on and scored, so we have a very good team.

“Everyone who plays tries to do their best to win the games.”

With Sergio Aguero leaving for Barcelona and a so-far-unsuccessful chase of Kane, the pressure is on for Jesus to score goals.

He added: “When you play with the number nine on your back, you normally have the pressure to score goals. I try to score every time I step on to the pitch, but sometimes I can score with other things, with assists, with runs and creating chances to help my team.

“I step out onto the pitch to help my team and I am so happy because everyone in the team played so good and we were able to win the first game back at the Etihad. I started to play football on the street, so I play everywhere in the attack.

“I think now I can focus more on my game to help my team.”

Norwich have endured a chastening return to the Premier League, having lost 3-0 to Liverpool and now 5-0 at the Etihad.

Being 2-0 down inside 22 minutes was not an ideal start and defender Grant Hanley knew it was going to be a tough afternoon.

“It’s difficult when you come away to a place like this and concede early goals. You always face an uphill battle,” he said on the club’s official website.

“In the first half, we had some periods of play that were encouraging for us so the mindset at half-time was to improve on that.

“We hoped to start the second half well but conceded again which was a bit of a killer, so it’s disappointing the way we conceded the goals and we need to improve.