All eyes turn to one of the biggest derbies in world football this weekend, as Milan and Inter battle it out at the San Siro.

The two arch-rivals went toe-to-toe in the hunt for the Serie A title last season, with Milan emerging victorious on the final day to clinch the league crown for the first time since 2011.

Stefano Pioli's side have begun their title defence with an unbeaten start to the campaign, securing two wins and two draws, while Inter have won three of four, losing to Lazio last Friday.

Still early in the season, a single point separates the two and bragging rights are on the cards on Saturday, though neither side has a particularly good record against one another in recent years.

Milan seek to end poor derby return

A 2-1 victory over Inter in February, where Olivier Giroud netted a brace, puts Milan in hunt of consecutive league wins against Inter for the first time since 2011 – which were the first two league derbies played under Massimiliano Allegri.

While they were victorious in that particular clash, the two Coppa Italia semi-final ties in March and April saw Milan unable to score in either tie, meaning they could go three consecutive derbies without scoring for the first time since 1980.

Milan's last win as the designated host at San Siro against Inter came in Serie A back in January 2016, with Inter winning three and drawing three against the Rossoneri since then.

Inzaghi's unwanted record

Simone Inzaghi has only won one point in his first two derbies in Serie A since joining the Nerazzurri and is seeking a win to prevent an unwanted record, as failure to do so would see him become the first Inter coach not to win any of his first three matches against Milan in the top-flight since Osvaldo Bagnoli in 1993 (D2 L1).

In order to secure victory, Inter could turn to Joaquin Correa who has scored four goals in Serie A against Milan, more than any other side. The Argentine has also scored four goals in his last five appearances in the competition, having gone goalless in his previous 18.

Either way, there should be goals and a victor as Inter are the only team, excluding relegated and promoted sides, not to draw a Serie A match since last April.

During that sequence, Inter have 11 wins, at least three more than any other team, and two losses – one of which was the 3-1 defeat to Lazio last Friday.

Leao vs Lautaro

Having fended off transfer interest from Chelsea, Rafael Leao is set to make his 100th Serie A appearance in Saturday's game and the Brazilian's record sees him stand as one of the finest young players in the division.

Among players born since 1999, Leao has provided 16 Serie A assists, more than anyone else, and has scored 24 goals – putting him behind only Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic (55) and Inter's Andrea Pinamonti (25), who is on loan at Sassuolo.

With Romelu Lukaku absent through injury, Inter will turn to Lautaro Martinez to find the difference and the Argentine enters the tie in a fine vein of form.

Martinez has been involved in a goal in each of his first four appearances this season (three goals, one assist), only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2007-08) and Nicolo Barella (2021-22) have had a hand in a goal in their first Serie A appearances in a second for Inter since 2004-05, when Opta started collecting assist data.

Pioli's perfect return

Though Milan's recent record against Inter does not make for pretty reading, their overall record heading into Saturday's derby is encouraging as they have won five consecutive home matches in Serie A.

A sixth in a row with victory against Inter would see Milan hit that tally for the first time since August 2014, under Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi.

Milan's defence is also looking strong, having kept a clean sheet in their last two Serie A matches. A third this weekend would see Milan secure three clean sheets in the first five top-flight seasonal games in three campaigns in a row for the third time in their history (after 1952-23, 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1978-79, 1979-1980 and 1981-1982).

Paris Saint-Germain have been hit with a fine from UEFA that could rise to €65million after failing to comply with break-even rules put in place by European football's governing body.

The Ligue 1 champions were one of eight clubs served with financial fair play penalties, with Roma, Milan, Monaco, Besiktas, Inter, Juventus and Marseille the others affected.

UEFA said its Club Financial Control Body analysed the financial years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 for clubs that competed in its European competitions last season, with special measures applied for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic's impact on football.

PSG have invested heavily in star players including the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma, while retaining the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their ranks.

They must pay €10m, with the remainder of their punishment suspended for now, payable only if they fail to meet future targets.

Given the wealth of PSG's Qatari owners, questions will be asked about how significantly any such fine might affect the French giants.

Italian club Roma were served with a €35m fine, but similarly to the PSG case, only €5m of that is unconditional. They will avoid paying the rest if they meet UEFA requirements in future. Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, won last season's Europa Conference League.

Their Serie A rivals Inter, Juventus and Milan were hit with €26m, €23m and €15m punishments, but must pay only €4m, €3.5m and €2m initially.

Turkish outfit Besiktas were fined €4m, but will pay €600,000 for now, while PSG's domestic opponents Marseille and Monaco were each penalised €2m, required to pay just €300,000 if they toe the line.

UEFA said: "These eight clubs agreed to financial contributions of €172m.

"These amounts will be withheld from any revenues these clubs earn from participating in UEFA club competitions or paid directly.

"Of this amount, €26m (15 per cent) shall be paid in full while the remaining balance of €146m (85 per cent) is conditional depending on these clubs' compliance with the targets stated in the respective settlement agreement."

Those settlement agreements will span three or four years. Inter and Roma requested four-year terms, while all other clubs elected for three years.

UEFA said the clubs would "undertake to reach intermediate annual targets, and to the application of conditional financial and sporting measures should these targets not be met".

It added that 19 further clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Sevilla, Lazio, Napoli and West Ham, fulfilled the break-even requirement only "thanks to the application of the COVID-19 emergency measures and/or because they benefited from historical positive break-even results".

UEFA said these clubs would be "further asked for additional financial information and will be monitored closely in the upcoming period".

England will be without Jonny Bairstow for the Twenty20 World Cup after the batsman suffered a freak injury while playing golf.

Bairstow has been in stunning form for England in 2022 and was named in their T20 World Cup squad on Friday.

Yet he will now miss the series-deciding Test against South Africa and the tournament in Australia after sustaining what the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) described as a "lower limb injury".

England's statement confirmed Bairstow had suffered the injury while playing golf in Leeds on Friday, in what they labelled "a freak accident".

Bairstow will see a specialist next week but was immediately ruled out of action for the foreseeable future. 

Ben Duckett has been called up in his place for the Test match against South Africa, while England will name a replacement in their World Cup squad in due course.

Bairstow has been England's standout performer this year, scoring 1,344 runs across all formats, hitting five Test centuries in the process.

Stefano Pioli is set to unleash Rafael Leao on Inter in Saturday's Milan derby after keeping suitors at bay before the transfer window closed.

The exciting Portuguese forward was thought to be a target for Chelsea but remains with Milan and is poised to make his 100th Serie A appearance against the Nerazzurri.

Up to this point, Leao has started in 69 of his 99 league games, and among players born from 1999 onwards he has provided the most assists (16) in the competition.

In terms of goals scored among that age group, the 23-year-old stands third on the list with 24, behind only Dusan Vlahovic (55) and Andrea Pinamonti (25).

Pioli never believed he would lose Leao before the shutters went up on the market on Thursday, but the finality will have come as a relief to many associated with the club.

"I have never been worried about the possible departure of Leao, I have always seen him fully involved and determined," Pioli said on Friday.

Milan won the last league derby, a 2-1 victory in February when Olivier Giroud's double saw the Rossoneri come from behind to take the points, an important result on the way to a first Scudetto since 2010-11, dethroning Inter in the process.

It means Milan will be looking to win consecutive league games against their city rivals for the first time since 2011, although Inter got the better of the two-leg Coppa Italia semi-final between the teams in March and April.

Pioli said Giroud had "a crucial role" to play in Saturday's game, and stressed Milan have prepared "down to the smallest detail".

"I expect a vibrant contest: the derby is the derby and so it will be an even contest," Pioli said. "We must not lose focus for even a second, we'll have to move hard and fast. Effort, aggression and sacrifice will all be required."

The transfer window has been an inevitable distraction despite Pioli's best efforts to focus on Inter. Milan look to have traded prudently in its closing stages, agreeing loan deals for Barcelona's American full-back Sergino Dest and Wolfsburg's teenage Belgian midfielder Aster Vranckx, while also signing Schalke's young centre-back Malick Thiaw.

Pioli described the newcomers as "important players with ample room for improvement".

Dest arrives in the wake of Milan losing right-back Alessandro Florenzi to a leg muscle injury that will reportedly sideline him for around eight weeks.

"We are gutted for Florenzi's injury," said Pioli, quoted on Milan's official website. "He is a leader on and off the pitch. We're still evaluating how to proceed in order to manage his recovery in the best possible way."

Assessing what Dest brings, Pioli said: "He has quality and pace, we got him to play the full-back position but he has the right characteristics to play in other roles too."

Simone Inzaghi admits Romelu Lukaku's recovery will take some time but the Inter boss still feels his side can "make a difference" without their forward when they face Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.

The two local rivals meet at San Siro this weekend for the first time since the Nerazzurri defeated Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals last term.

However, the Rossoneri prevailed in the pair's battle for the Serie A title, with Inter missing the pinpoint power of forward Lukaku following his move to Chelsea.

An underwhelming season back in the Premier League led to the Belgian's return to Inter on loan, but a thigh injury means he will miss their biggest match of the season to date.

Inzaghi insists his team will cope without Lukaku, saying at his pre-match press conference: "The hope is for [Lukaku] to recover before the international break. It will take some time, but the medical staff is working on his recovery. We must prepare for these eventualities.

Inzaghi discussed his various selection dilemmas for the derby, with centre-back Alessandro Bastoni missing the midweek 3-1 win against Cremonese with a fever.

"He was not 100 per cent already before the Cremonese game with a fever, and in these two days he still was not well," he said. "I will decide as soon as I get him back in the group in training, as well as for the attack where I can choose between three players and figure out who to support Lautaro [Martinez].

"On Tuesday, [Joaquin] Correa did very well and scored, [Edin] Dzeko did a great job.

"I also have to choose in the wide positions. [Robin] Gosens has been stationary for six months. Right now I'm preferring to let him enter the race. In the derby I will decide between him, [Federico] Dimarco and [Matteo] Darmian."

The former Lazio boss understands what the game means, both locally and in the wider title picture, and called on his players to show "nastiness and determination" on Saturday.

"Last year, we played many derbies and the last one allowed us to win a trophy," he said. "A derby is loaded on its own - two strong teams face each other and the matches are balanced, decided by individual episodes.

"We need to make a difference. We know it's an important match. It needs to be a tour-de-force between now and November - it will take nastiness and determination."

Liverpool are thrilled to have Arthur on board, but the on-loan Juventus midfielder will not be available against Everton, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

Arthur joined Liverpool on a one-season loan on Thursday, with the Reds having an option to buy the former Barcelona playmaker for £32.3million (€37.5m).

The Brazil international did not enjoy much success across the last two seasons in Turin, and had not featured in this campaign after making just 11 Serie A starts last term.

Liverpool had initially suggested their business was complete after the early acquisitions of Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho, but injuries to Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson – who will definitely miss Saturday's derby at Goodison Park – forced Klopp's hand.

Despite it being a late deal, Klopp believes Arthur is an ideal solution to Liverpool's needs.

"Everyone was really happy about the transfer. He will not have international clearance but we all hope he will be fine for Napoli [in next week's Champions League tie]," said Klopp in a press conference.

"He's a really good footballer, we all agree on that, really exciting career already and still pretty young, coming to the best age for a footballer and he can give rhythm, he's a really good passer, quick with the ball, safe on the ball, really good in tight areas, all these kind of things, I like it a lot.

"Why can you loan a player like this? Because it didn't work out 100 per cent at Juventus but I see it as a positive because the potential is still there. We play differently to Juve, and we all thought he could fit pretty well, really pleased."

Klopp indicated that Keita would remain out for a sustained period with a muscular problem, though he is hoping Thiago will return to training next week.

Tyson Fury has issued a fresh challenge to Oleksandr Usyk, responding to the latest comments from the Ukrainian where he referred to the WBC heavyweight champion as a 'crazy guy'.

Usyk successfully defended his belts against Anthony Joshua in last month's rematch, clearing the way for boxing fans to secure the unification fight they have long been waiting for on the heavyweight stage.

Fury had claimed he would retire following his win against Dillian Whyte in April but has since made it clear he is open to returning to the ring for a unification bout against Usyk.

Former middleweight fighter Usyk spoke about the prospect of facing off against Fury earlier this week, stating: "I want the WBC title. It was captured by the gypsies, some kind of king.

"We don't know what Tyson has in his head. Everyone knows that this is a very crazy guy. I would really like this fight to happen next year."

That sparked a fiery response from Fury, who directed jibes at Usyk's former middleweight status and named three prospective dates for a potential bout.

"Usyk, middleweight, you say you want the WBC and it's held by gypsies, it is held by gypsies and it's held by the gypsy king, it's held tightly," he said in a social media video.

"All rounds lead to a seven-foot behemoth who will absolutely destroy you, middleweight, you will get smashed to bits.

"You said you wanted to fight me after you beat the bodybuilder [Joshua], called me out on television, and now you're being a little b****, saying you've got injuries.

"You ain't got no injuries, you had a sparring contest. Get out and fight in December, you let your mouth go, now let's see if you can back it up.

"Doesn't matter if it's December, April or August next year, the outcome will be the same, I will obliterate you. I am a seven foot, 20 stone behemoth and I will destroy you. Find your balls, come see me."

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri thinks Denis Zakaria's exit to Chelsea was the best move for club and player, saying his Bianconeri squad is "complete" even after some deadline-day departures.

The Switzerland international was one of a handful of last-gasp exits from Turin, alongside fellow midfielders Arthur and Nicolo Rovella, who moved on to Liverpool and Monza respectively.

Allegri was only able to add one more player, in a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain man Leandro Paredes, but nevertheless, he remains happy with the composition of his squad.

"[It] is difficult to say [if I am satisfied with the market]," he added. "The club has worked very well with both incoming and outgoing moves. We held onto the young people who were the goal of the club.

"With Zakaria, there was the possibility [of an exit] because he felt a little withdrawn. He enthusiastically accepted this opportunity. I wish him and Arthur good luck.

"We've made our choices and they are happy. We have completed the squad in the best possible way. We think about our recoveries and then we will be complete."

Ahead of the clash with Fiorentina, Allegri is still juggling a host of injury concerns, with Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa long-term absentees, while Adrien Rabiot will also miss out.

But Angel Di Maria could feature in some capacity, with the head coach adding: "He is not in an optimal condition, but he can play. If it is 45 or 60 minutes, we will see."

Antonio Conte believes Tottenham remain a long way away from challenging for the Premier League title despite enjoying a busy transfer window.

The north London club have strengthened their squad significantly since securing a top-four finish on the final day of last season, bringing in the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet.

Spurs have made a bright start to the new campaign, picking up 11 points from their first five Premier League outings. 

Should they avoid defeat against Fulham on Saturday, Conte's men will have gone unbeaten through their first six games of a Premier League season for just the third time, having previously done so in 2004-05 and 2016-17.

However, while Conte claims to be pleased with Spurs' work in the transfer market, he believes his side have much to do to push the country's elite. 

"I think that we have to understand that in this transfer window, we did what the club could do," he said on Friday.

"I think that we did good things, but I have to be honest with you because if I see the other squads of the top teams, there is too much distance.

"For this reason, we have to know that we have just started on this process to improve the squad. 

"We tried to do it in January with [Rodrigo] Bentancur and [Dejan] Kulusevski and we tried to do that in this window on a numerical and quality aspect. 

"But to be competitive and to fight to be a title contender and to try to get a place in the Champions League, you need at least three transfer windows more to improve and to be in the same level as the other clubs.

"I'm sure that we are going in the right way for the capacity of the club at this moment to invest money.

"We have to be realistic to understand that there are clubs who can invest different money and other clubs that can invest normal money. For sure, the path is hard because of this aspect. 

"We want to continue to improve. I am happy to have this group of players and the new players are inside the team and inside the dressing room. We did the right things, but we have just started, if someone thinks we have completed the situation, we are very far from this."

Tottenham earned praise for completing several deals in the early stages of the window, but Conte does not believe that will give them an advantage over wealthier rivals.

"If you sign a player £80million or £100m on the last day you have a big advantage, because it means you are signing a top player," he added.

"You can sign players also for free or on loan, and it is a different situation. I want to be very clear on that."

After beating local rivals Arsenal to Champions League qualification last term, Spurs return to Europe's premier club competition when they host Marseille on Wednesday.

Conte claimed Spurs' congested fixture list will represent a crucial test of where they stand, adding: "The season starts now for a club like us playing in the Champions League, because in the Europa League and Europa Conference League you can allow yourself to make big rotations. 

"But in the Champions League you have to play a strong team and this is a harder task. This is a good opportunity for me and the club to understand if we miss something."

The FIA's Contract Recognition Board has ruled in favour of McLaren on Oscar Piastri, allowing the Australian to take a seat with the team on the grid from 2023.

Alpine and McLaren were locked in a battle over the services of the 21-year-old, who was a member of Alpine's junior programme and held reserve status with the team this season.

Fernando Alonso's announcement that he would be leaving Alpine for Aston Martin sparked a domino effect in the market, with Alpine then announcing Piastri would take a seat next year.

However, Piastri then took to social media to deny he had agreed to race for the team, with it widely understood he had instead reached an agreement with McLaren - who confirmed Daniel Ricciardo would leave at the end of the season.

Both teams believed they had a valid contract for Piastri, with the case then being heard by the CRB this week - who have now ruled in favour of McLaren.

"The only Contract to be recognised by is the Contract between McLaren Racing Limited and Mr Piastri dated 4 July 2022. Mr Piastri is entitled to drive for McLaren Racing for the 2023 and 2024 seasons," the CRB said.

McLaren swiftly announced Piastri as their 2023 driver alongside Lando Norris and Piastri spoke of his delight at joining the team.

"I'm extremely excited to be making my F1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren and I'm very grateful for the opportunity that’s been offered to me," he said.

"The team has a long tradition of giving young talent a chance, and I'm looking forward to working hard alongside Lando to push the team towards the front of the grid. I'm focused on preparing for my F1 debut in 2023 and starting my F1 career in papaya."

Alpine will now be on the hunt for a driver to sit alongside Esteban Ocon next season, with widespread reports Pierre Gasly will join from AlphaTauri, ending his long association with Red Bull, and the team said an announcement on their line-up would be made in due course.

"BWT Alpine F1 Team thanks the Contract Recognition Board (CRB) for convening on Monday and we acknowledge the decision they have made," they stated on Twitter.

"We consider the matter closed on our side and will announce our full 2023 driver line-up in due course. Our immediate focus is the Dutch Grand Prix and securing points in our fight for fourth in the Constructors' Championship."

Alpine is fourth in the Constructors' Championship on 115 points, 20 points ahead of McLaren.

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has "learned a lesson" after serving his three-match suspension for violent conduct, says Jurgen Klopp.

Nunez – signed from Benfica prior to the season – was sent off on his Anfield debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on August 15.

The forward subsequently missed Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United, their 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth and Wednesday's dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle United.

Klopp is thrilled to have Nunez back in the fold ahead of Saturday's Merseyside derby with Everton at Goodison Park, while Diogo Jota could also be involved after returning from injury, but Liverpool's manager is sure his new striker has learned a valuable lesson when it comes to keeping his cool.

"He learned a lesson! He's in really good shape," Klopp said.

"If you look how we came through the last two games, winning, we don't see it as a bad thing. We tried to give him extra input physically as well as tactically.

"Diogo will probably be in as well for the first time, so it'll be the first time with five attackers, it's like Christmas. We will make changes, we will see.

"He's really happy that he's not suspended. For some time always I've given him a high five but a slap as well, just so he doesn't forget! That can stop now.

"He's looking forward to it. His English didn’t improve much in 10, 15 days, so I don't know exactly, but it looks like it."

Asked if his central defenders – likely to be James Tarkowski and former Liverpool man Conor Coady – would look to rile Nunez, Everton manager Frank Lampard said: "They're just going to do their jobs. The best way to wind him up, if you can even call it that, is to do your job.

"He's a top player, that's why he comes at that price tag, the level of player is big, we know that, but they've also played a few games without him where they've performed very well. 

"We have to concentrate on ourselves and the best way to get an advantage in games is to perform and be on it."

Roberto Firmino has filled in up front in Nunez's absence, and has scored three times in the last two matches, taking him past 100 goals in all competitions for Liverpool.

"The timing was perfect, he played exceptionally," Klopp said of Firmino. "I said before, I liked a lot of the United game even if people didn't agree with me, and then obviously against Bournemouth.

"He's really important for us, the Bobby we know, you cannot score 100 goals if you have a lot of downs, but if you have a lot of ups it is maybe possible and that's why he's reached this number, which is pretty special. Really happy for him. The applause of the guys was nearly as loud as when we scored against Newcastle, everyone is really happy for him."

Lampard has lost all four of his league matches against Klopp, who has won two of his six derbies at Goodison Park, drawing four, though the corresponding fixture last season finished 4-1 to Liverpool.

Everton's record in the fixture is woeful, with the Toffees winning only one of their last 23 matches against their rivals since October 2010.

While Liverpool have yet to win on the road in the Premier League this season (D1 L1), having won seven of their last eight away from home in 2021-22, Everton are without a victory from their five top-flight games, though they have drawn the last three. 

With the Merseyside derby having seen more red cards than any other Premier League fixture (22), and 24 of them finishing as draws since the start of the 1992-93 season, Klopp is anticipating another intense contest.

"Tight game, pretty much most of the time, even the games we won, a big fight, we cannot ignore that, but you have to play football as well, that's the challenge," he said.

"From this point of view, the Newcastle game was perfect preparation, it was really intense and showed us what we have to expect.

"The more that you can put in football as well between these fighting moments, the more you can get from the game."

Eddie Howe has claimed rival Premier League clubs have raised their asking prices as they "didn't want to be seen to be helping" Newcastle United.

Newcastle were bought last October in a controversial takeover funded in large part by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

The team, who were facing relegation, have improved drastically since then, helped by Howe's appointment as head coach and the investment of more than £200million in the transfer market.

However, Newcastle's attempts to do further business were hampered by the "narrative" around their wealth, Howe suggested on Friday, the day after a window in which they spent big money on Sven Botman and Alexander Isak closed.

"That was definitely something we felt in the market," he said ahead of Saturday's game against Crystal Palace.

"Domestic clubs didn't want to be seen to be helping us. We'll have to take that – that is part of where we are at the moment.

"We have certainly found there is no one there ready to do us a favour. It's the narrative regarding us that has changed.

"If there is anything domestically, teams will put their price up if it is Newcastle. That is the same around the world; that is something we are having to deal with.

"That is why we have walked away from a few deals, because I think it is important we are not seen as that club that will pay what is asked. I think it has to be fair."

Howe was asked if these difficulties had made the club more united, and while he hesitated in agreeing transfer business could have such an impact, he acknowledged: "There is a real feeling of us internally knowing we are against everybody else.

"That is healthy and I would embrace that. I would say we couldn't be more together at the moment."

Beyond their controversial owners, Howe's team were also unpopular in their approach to Wednesday's 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.

Having led in that game, Newcastle were accused of time-wasting by the Anfield crowd, who jeered them from the field after Fabio Carvalho's 98th-minute Reds winner.

It was put to Howe that this response and the market complications were due to Newcastle now being considered "contenders"; he disagreed they had yet achieved that status but had no issue with such a reaction.

"I will take that if we are contenders," he said. "But we have that all to prove. We are so early into the season.

"We need to elevate ourselves in points and league status to make sure we are seen as that. If that makes us unpopular, I will take it."

Erik ten Hag hailed the progress Manchester United have made in their defensive work after recording three successive victories, as he weighs up whether to hand Antony his debut against Arsenal on Sunday.

United continued their recovery from a dismal start to Ten Hag's tenure on Thursday, with Jadon Sancho's goal seeing off Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The Red Devils last posted three successive league wins in December 2021, when they downed Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Norwich City.

Ten Hag's team have also kept back-to-back clean sheets after clinching a shutout win over Southampton last week, but while the Dutchman is pleased with their defensive improvements, he knows there is still work to be done.

"I have seen some good stuff, you are taking about that. I see structures are coming, we are constructing and that's good to see," he said.

"We have to do that and improve from game to game, and that means work on the training ground, on the video, and in the games.

"Collectively, I see the whole team is defending and that makes it more easy for our defenders, but I think what they do well is they cooperate, they do it together and they support each other.

"They have a good performance and that makes it hard for the opposition to create chances, I think that's what we see in this moment."

Asked where United need to make further progress, Ten Hag added:  "I think many more things, about formation, about creating lines and then making the right decisions on the ball.

"Off the ball, we have made a good step, we have a base, but there is still a lot of room for improvement." 

United ended a busy transfer window by getting deals for Ajax winger Antony and Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka over the line, but Ten Hag remains unsure whether the former will make his debut against the Gunners.

"Today he did his first training, individually," he said of Antony on Thursday. "Tomorrow we have a team session and Saturday we have a team session.

"So I will think about it, and we will take a decision."

Antony's compatriot Casemiro, meanwhile, is still awaiting his first United start since joining from Real Madrid, with Ten Hag naming the same starting line-up for each of the Red Devils' three consecutive wins.

Asked whether the midfield enforcer could be introduced on Sunday, Ten Hag said: "It is an option. 

"I have seen Arsenal, they are a tough opponent. They have started very well, as we all know, this season. You can see they are a team who are together with the coach, he is bringing his philosophy.

"For us it's a good test, we are really looking forward to it.

"We will pick the right team to start, but as you see, it's not only the team, we have a squad."

United have only won one of their past eight Premier League games against Arsenal, posting three draws and four losses in that sequence. However, the Red Devils did triumph 3-2 in this fixture last campaign.