Villarreal boss Unai Emery has acknowledged the Yellow Submarine may be forced to sell young winger Yeremi Pino, amid reports linking him with a move to Arsenal.

The Gunners have reportedly been in the market for another versatile attacker since top target Raphinha opted to join Barcelona earlier in the transfer window, while the Spanish press has also touted Liverpool as potential suitors for Yeremi.

The 19-year-old played a key role as Villarreal made the Champions League semi-finals last season, making 40 appearances for Emery's team in all competitions.

Yeremi recorded seven goals and four assists in a strong campaign, also creating 32 chances for LaLiga's seventh-placed finishers.

But Emery told reporters on Friday the club may be powerless to keep him in the face of Premier League interest, acknowledging: "If an offer arrives for players like Yeremi Pino, then he will have to leave.

"We have a responsibility with the club. It is what it is."

Villarreal go to Real Valladolid for their first outing of the 2022-23 LaLiga season on Saturday.

Barcelona coach Xavi refused to rule out exits for Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the eve of their LaLiga opener, acknowledging "anything can happen".

Manchester United's interest in De Jong has evolved into one of the longest-running sagas of the transfer window, while Chelsea are being strongly linked with both the Netherlands midfielder and Barca striker Aubameyang.

Although Xavi and president Joan Laporta have expressed confidence Barca will overcome their financial woes to register a host of new acquisitions ahead of Saturday's fixture against Rayo Vallecano, they are trying to offload players and reduce the wage bill.

While Xavi still considers both men key players, he made it clear they may depart before the transfer window closes.

"From here until August 31 a lot can happen, but I like Aubameyang a lot," Xavi told a news conference on Friday.

"He helped us a lot, he's an important player for me, he arrived here with a lot of humility, a good work ethic, so we'll see what happens."

On De Jong's future, the Blaugrana boss added: "It's the same as Aubameyang, he's an important player and he's part of the squad. 

"If I can use him, great. From now until the 31st we will see what possibilities there are and where we are with regards to our participation in the market. 

"From now until August 31, anything can happen with Frenkie and with any players in the squad."

Reports have suggested tensions are high between De Jong and the club after he appeared to be jeered by a group of supporters while arriving at training earlier this week.

But Xavi denies there is any ill-feeling towards De Jong, who joined from Ajax for a reported fee of €75million in 2019.

"I didn't hear whistles, I heard applause," Xavi claimed. "People are able to express how and when they want, I'm here to try to improve the squad and make a cohesive unit. 

"It depends on how you perform on the pitch whether they support you or whistle. I think Frenkie can help the squad very well, he's helped the club also and I have no complaints."

One player who is set to leave Barcelona is young midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who declared on Wednesday he would be joining Valencia on a season-long loan.

Nico made 37 appearances for Barca last season – although only 17 were starts – and Xavi revealed the 20-year-old asked to leave.

"He came to me three weeks ago. I insisted that he continue because he would have minutes. I like Nico," Xavi said. "But a few days ago, he came back and told me that there was a team where he would play. 

"He has been brave and is going to Valencia. I hope he comes back more mature because it will be important for the future of Barca. 

"For the midfield we have Busquets, [Miralem] Pjanic, [Franck] Kessie, Frenkie, Sergi Roberto, and even [Andreas] Christensen who can play there."

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has heaped praise on the club's new owners for showing "great ambition" in the transfer market.

The Blues entered the window restricted by sanctions imposed by the UK government on Roman Abramovich, which prevented any new signings from being made or new contracts being offered to players.

Such uncertainty ended with the completion of a takeover led by American Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel has been backed at the start of a new era.

Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly are among the new signings made by the London club, with Barcelona duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong potentially on their way to Stamford Bridge.

Azpilicueta signed a new deal after being a target for Barca and the defender is excited about what Chelsea could achieve with the quality of signings they have made.

"It's very important that we keep the ambition high and keep winning trophies - and we have showed that with our transfers and the new players coming in," he told Sky Sports.

"I've seen a great ambition, they [the owners] have been very transparent and honest since the first day. 

"We've seen straight away in the transfer window and it's not easy to step up after just a few months of sanctions where you can't make any movements.

"In football, the competition is really high. You have more teams who want players and it's very difficult. Sometimes you need a bit more time, but we've had a great recruitment until now. 

"They [the new owners] have shown in other sports how successful they have been and I am fully confident that we will have a successful period as a club."

While Azpilicueta would not comment specifically on any names, he did suggest he expects further new arrivals.

"We're still working on more until the last day. There's still some movement around and I'm very excited," he added.

Premier League football returned with a bang last week, and the second round of matches throws up the first clash between two sides anticipated to be right in the thick of the battle for a top-four finish.

Chelsea's first home game of the season hands them a London derby against Tottenham, with both on a high following their opening victories against Everton and Southampton respectively.

On the weekend the Premier League celebrates its 30th birthday, all eyes will be on Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte faces off against his former employers.

Both Chelsea and Spurs had busy pre-seasons, including the former being taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and with both playing in the Champions League this season, will be among the favourites to secure their spots in Europe's elite competition once again.

Securing points against rivals in the battle may well be decisive come May, and Chelsea know they have the historic edge.

Spurs' Stamford Bridge struggles

In 2018, Spurs won consecutive Premier League matches against Chelsea – a rare phenomenon for the north London side, who are historically poor in their trips across the capital to Stamford Bridge.

Since losing 3-1 at Wembley in November 2018, Chelsea have returned to form in the fixture, with seven Premier League matches unbeaten against Spurs, six wins and one draw.

During that run, Chelsea have conceded just a solitary goal and not even that was scored by a Spurs player, with Antonio Rudiger netting an own goal in Chelsea's 2-1 win in February 2020.

Spurs' record at Stamford Bridge makes for even worse reading. Their 3-1 win in April 2018 is their only success in their last 37 visits to Chelsea, suffering 24 defeats and sharing the spoils on 12 occasions.

Kane's killing edge

Thierry Henry stands as the highest Premier League scorer in London derbies with 43, but Harry Kane (41) is now closing in on the former Arsenal captain.

The England skipper is a reliable threat in front of goal against opponents from the capital but has a poor run of form against Chelsea, having failed to score in any of his last five appearances against the Blues.

In the top-flight, Kane has only had longer goalless runs against Manchester City (seven games between 2017 and 2021) and Manchester United (six games between 2014 and 2016).

Kane comes into Sunday's clash seeking to open his account for the season but will have fond memories of his last London derby, where he struck twice in a convincing win over Arsenal in May.

Centurions in wait

Tottenham sit just one victory away from celebrating 100 wins in Premier League London derby matches and, if they beat Chelsea, will become the third side to reach that milestone after the Blues and Arsenal.

Securing a win at Stamford Bridge is difficult enough but Spurs are also edging towards being centurions in Premier League London derbies at the opposite end of the spectrum as they have 97 defeats – only West Ham (112) having more.

Both milestones could be reached during the course of the 2022-23 season, and Spurs will hope to tick off the former first.

Home headache

Two of Chelsea's last three home Premier League London derby matches have ended in defeat, having lost to Arsenal and Brentford in April.

In that run, Chelsea suffered as many defeats in three games as they had in their previous 17 – where they had only dropped 12 points from a possible 51.

Those losses to Arsenal and Brentford hit harder, however, with the fact that Thomas Tuchel's side conceded eight goals in total – as many as they had conceded in their previous 16 combined.

Spurs can pack a punch too, with Conte's men winning their last four Premier League matches with an aggregate scoreline of 13-1, which stands as the longest winning run within the top-flight.

Antonio Conte says Tottenham would be "foolish" to spend big in the transfer market and will use "common sense."

Spurs have made six signings during the window, landing Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster.

The London club have also been linked with Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo and Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, while teenage wing-back Destiny Udogie is expected to arrive form Udinese and return to the Serie A club on loan.

They are also reportedly set to trigger a £41million release clause to make centre-back Cristian Romero's loan move from Atalanta permanent.

Tottenham head coach Conte has vowed there is no chance the club will be reckless before the transfer window closes on September 1.

He said ahead of Sunday's derby at his former club Chelsea: "We improved in this way but I know I can't have everything quickly, it would be foolish to ask for a lot of players and spend a lot of money.

"We're doing the right things with common sense, not to spend the money on many players. Also, this is not the politics of the club, I understand this. We have to go in the right way, doing the right things."

Conte is pleased with the strength of his squad as Spurs look to make further strides after securing fourth place in the Premier League last season to seal a Champions League spot.

The Italian added: "I'm very happy with our squad because, compared to last season, we improved with Richy but we lost [Steven] Bergwijn. [Bryan] Gil went on loan but now he's in the squad of 20 players. I think in midfield we improved with Bissouma and with [Harry] WInks, and then with Lenglet behind.

"We signed players with common sense, to find players with the right characteristics, to help us have the quality. To have reliable players, players ready to have a good impact."

Tottenham will be without defender Lenglet and midfielder Oliver Skipp for their second Premier League game of the season due to an abductor injury and a hairline heel fracture respectively.

Pep Guardiola revealed Sergio Gomez will compete for a place in Manchester City's first team as he confirmed reports the Premier League champions are set to sign the young left-back.

City have reportedly agreed an £11million (€13m) deal to sign the 21-year-old Anderlecht player, having missed out on Marc Cucurella to Chelsea earlier this month.

Guardiola has been chasing another left-back to compete with Joao Cancelo since Oleksandr Zinchenko departed for Arsenal, with Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi and Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri also touted as potential targets.

Although some have suggested Gomez represents a development project, with a loan move to Girona mooted, Guardiola is confident in his ability to contribute immediately.

"You know the club is always working on many possibilities and chances in all positions, and this one target is a young player," Guardiola said ahead of City's Premier League fixture against Bournemouth on Saturday. 

"In the [2017 Under-17] World Cup years ago, the best player was Phil Foden, and he was the second-best player in this tournament, then he played for Spain's under-21s.

"He was a young talented player from the academy in Barcelona, he went to [Borussia] Dortmund and didn't get many minutes, and the last year he played in the good hands of Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and played really well.

"We targeted him and could bring him here."

Asked whether Gomez was one for the future, Guardiola responded: "No, for now, he's going to stay with us and will be alongside Joao, for left-back."

Full-backs have a vital role in Guardiola's team, with the ability of Cancelo to drift into the middle of the midfield seen as key.

Playing in this way, Cancelo laid on seven Premier League assists in 2021-22 – a tally only beaten by Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne (both eight) among City players – and created 36 chances from open play.

He also topped the club's charts for passes ending in the final third (1,112 – over 300 more than second-placed Bernardo Silva's 769) .

Cancelo and Kyle Walker each impressed as City enjoyed over 75 per cent of the possession in a routine win at West Ham last Sunday, and Guardiola highlighted the way his full-backs must adapt against different opponents.

"It's not the first time I've done it; for many years, I've done it," he added.

"Last season, with a proper striker with Gabriel or Raz [Raheem Sterling] playing that, or with a false nine, we played it, too.

"And in many games, we didn't play it, and many games this season we are not going to play. It depends on the qualities of opponents, especially the shape of how they defend.

"The way we attack depends on how they defend. It's different to attack a four or five at the back, to see how the wingers behave, to defend narrow or wide – this affects your attack.

"You have to adapt. Since, I would say, at Bayern Munich, especially in the second season, I always used it many, many times."

Erling Haaland has "a lot of margin to improve" with Manchester City, according to Pep Guardiola.

The Norway international made the move from Borussia Dortmund to the Etihad Stadium ahead of the new season, as a flagship signing for both the club and the Premier League.

Despite drawing a blank in the Community Shield loss to Liverpool, the Leeds-born star responded with a brace on his league debut for the club last weekend against West Ham.

For Guardiola, however, Haaland still has plenty of scope to get better at City, suggesting he must work more to find the ball and bring himself into the thick of the action.

"In the process to score a goal, I do not like the striker just waiting for balls to come," he said ahead of Saturday's home clash with Bournemouth.

"If he wants to drop, he can do it. Erling has a lot of margin to improve. I would not make out he is done. He can be a better player and [he] has the will to do it.

"He likes to play football. I [have] never seen a player, [except] maybe [Lionel] Messi, who is a finished article. Always, you can improve.

"We will try to make him a better player, all our players have a lot of margin to be better. That is the reason why we are here, to try to help them."

Guardiola also touched on the title rivalry his side have shared with Liverpool over the past few seasons, framing their relationship as something that pushes City forward to new heights with each year.

"We were able to create this rivalry," he added. "The biggest opponent we face is Liverpool [and] it is an honour. Sport like this, individual [or] collective, you need someone to [make] you better."

Thomas Tuchel never felt Chelsea had a "huge gap" to Tottenham before seven months in which the clubs appeared to travel in opposite directions.

Chelsea won all four meetings with Spurs in all competitions last season without conceding.

Indeed, the Blues are unbeaten in seven against their London rivals in the Premier League, with Tottenham having won only one of their past 37 trips to Stamford Bridge in all competitions.

Spurs coach Antonio Conte said after a 2-0 Chelsea win in the EFL Cup semi-finals that Tuchel's men were "much stronger than us".

"This game confirmed what I thought about the difference between the teams," he added.

However, since then Tottenham have joined Chelsea in qualifying for the Champions League and enjoyed an excellent transfer window.

Having beaten Southampton 4-1 on the opening day of the season, Conte's side head into the second weekend on top of the table; in 2022, they have earned the third-most points in the division (44) behind Liverpool (52) and Manchester City (46), with Chelsea sixth in that regard (35).

Conte's January comments were put to Tuchel on Friday then, before the teams' latest meeting, and the Chelsea coach was asked to reflect on how the situation had changed.

But Tuchel argued his team had only dominated Spurs due to their commitment and performance in those matches – and he suggested Conte's analysis should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"I never felt a huge gap in preparing these matches," Tuchel said before Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge. "They are close matches, and they are a very competitive and very talented squad.

"I know very well what we invested and to what level we played to beat them four times and not concede a goal against this quality team in an emotional game in London that means for everybody so much.

"This was a huge effort and a big performance from us.

"In general, I don't believe everything Antonio Conte says in games like this, before games and after games.

"I admire him a lot and believe strongly that every team he trains competes for everything, no matter which team it is and what club it is. This is what he proves right now.

"They had maybe the opposite last seven months from us, given the situation.

"Everything was clear; they had something very clear to fight for, they put all the energy in to reach Champions League football and they reached Champions League football.

"Their targets were clear, the set-up in the club was clear, and they took advantage of this situation and had a very aggressive transfer period, a very straightforward and excellent transfer period to strengthen their squad in quality and in depth.

"That's why it's one of the toughest opponents. That's what it is always with Antonio Conte's teams."

Tuchel would not reveal his "secret" to keeping Harry Kane and Son Heung-min quiet, but he openly discussed how a heatwave in the United Kingdom might impact the match.

"It is demanding," he said. "It is more demanding – we see clearly from the data that the same training exercise in a different condition has a very different output and a very different effect on how you feel.

"It is maybe also a matter of how much you want it and how much you accept it.

"It will feel at times maybe very, very difficult and very draining. It is also a question of who has the ability, the will to play through the pain."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hopes former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang receives a "good reception" from Gunners fans if he returns to the Premier League from Barcelona.

Aubameyang was stripped of his captaincy last season before sealing a move to Barca, with further details of how the situation developed coming to light in Amazon's All Or Nothing documentary series.

In the latest episodes, released on Thursday, Arteta took strong action against Aubameyang after he returned late to training following a trip to Paris, setting in motion events that would lead to his departure.

The Amazon cameras also showed Arteta claimed to have record of numerous prior incidents of Aubameyang's indiscipline.

However, the Arsenal manager insisted on Friday he still has positive memories of the forward, who was the subject of much discussion as he emerges as a reported transfer target for rivals Chelsea.

"It's a long time since that happened. I cannot go back each time there is a series. I have made my comments on that," Arteta said of Aubameyang's exit.

"What has been done has to defend the club and put it in the best possible position.

"Auba is an exceptional player. He did so much for us. I hope he gets a good reception [if he comes back], because I think he deserves that."

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel worked with Aubameyang previously at Borussia Dortmund and said of claims of his "toxic influence" at Arsenal: "I experienced none of this.

"This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal, which I also will not comment about out of respect, because it's not on me to comment. I don't know what happened.

"In Dortmund, there was never an issue."

Marcus Rashford is "really important" to Manchester United and the forward is very much in their plans amid reported transfer interest from Paris Saint-Germain, says Erik ten Hag.

The 24-year-old struggled during a tepid 2021-22 campaign at Old Trafford, losing his place in the England set-up and mustering just four goals in 25 league appearances.

Reports have since emerged that he could make a fresh start across the English Channel with Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG.

But speaking ahead of a trip to Brentford this weekend, Ten Hag insists he regards Rashford as a key member of his squad this term.

"He is really important," Ten Hag said. "You have seen from the first day I am here [that] I am really happy with him.

"I do not want to lose him. He is definitely in our plans at Manchester United."

Ten Hag also addressed Cristiano Ronaldo's involvement after the Portugal star was benched for their opening weekend loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The veteran forward missed much of pre-season amid reports he is seeking an exit to find Champions League football, though a lack of credible suitors may well have put the brakes on a move.

"He has had a good training week," the Dutchman added. "He has had two half games now. We will see tomorrow."

Defeat to Brighton represented a major blow to hopes Ten Hag will re-establish United as genuine contenders for the top four this term, but the former Ajax man is unworried by a slow start from his side.

"After every game, I analyse what went wrong and where we can improve, where we have to improve, and how we have to train," he added.

"We tell and show the players this too, to give them the solutions. We learnt a lot [from the first game] but it is normal when you start a season, every season in that part is the same.

"You have a new start, you make mistakes. Football is a game of mistakes, so we know we have to improve in many factors."

Thomas Tuchel would have no concerns about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's attitude but has refused to discuss the possibility of working with the Barcelona striker again at Chelsea.

The Blues have been linked with a move for Aubameyang after Tuchel acknowledged on Friday they "could use" new signings both in attack and defence.

Tuchel offered a firm "no comment" when asked about interest in either Aubameyang or Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana, but was willing to reflect on his work with the Barca front man while at Borussia Dortmund.

Aubameyang scored 56 Bundesliga goals in 63 games under Tuchel at BVB. Indeed, for no coach in the top five leagues has Aubameyang scored more goals, registered more goal contributions (63) or netted at a faster rate (94 minutes per goal).

Tuchel still enjoys a close bond with the reported Chelsea target, telling a news conference ahead of Sunday's game against Tottenham: "I enjoyed a lot working with him. It was a pleasure.

"This has nothing to do with the situation now, but some players stay your players, because you were very, very close. Auba was one of these players.

"We had a very close relationship. Always when we played him here with Arsenal, there was always straight away this close bond. They stay your players, in a way, and Auba is one of these guys."

Mikel Arteta did not enjoy quite the same relationship with Aubameyang at Arsenal, with their fallout – which resulted in his January move to Barca – documented in Amazon's recent All or Nothing documentary series.

But Tuchel, quizzed on Aubameyang's "toxic influence", said: "I experienced none of this.

"This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal, which I also will not comment about out of respect, because it's not on me to comment. I don't know what happened.

"In Dortmund, there was never an issue."

And Tuchel is not concerned by others' opinions on Aubameyang, adding: "I don't follow the press about Auba. Don't be offended, but I don't follow the press so much.

"I don't know if he has a bad press or a good press – I could not care less. It's not important."

For now, Tuchel's focus is on Sunday's game against Spurs, and he is determined not to be distracted by possible transfer activity.

"We will not panic, and we will not try to sign players of which we are not 100 per cent convinced," he explained. "Our signings so far are fantastic signings and help us.

"To be very honest, it's a day-by-day business now to coach the team which is here and not to lose your head as a coach too much about what could be.

"What sense does it make if I lose my head now in the office and think about the team with players who are not here?

"We are ambitious, and we work hard to maybe strengthen our squad further, but at the same time we are calm, and all the energy and the ambition goes into the group that is here. We have still time."

Jurgen Klopp dismissed the idea that Liverpool were set to benefit from favourable fixture scheduling as clubs across the United Kingdom prepare to contend with soaring temperatures.

While the rest of the Premier League will battle it out in stifling heat over the weekend, Klopp's team will host Crystal Palace in far cooler conditions on Monday night.

The Reds boss conceded it was preferable to play in the evening, but underlined the fact that Palace have the same comfort.

"It's much better to play at nighttime than at these other times, but for Crystal Palace it's the same advantage," he said.

"It's much more comfortable to play, of course, but it shouldn't be a comfortable game. It should be really busy."

When it was subsequently suggested his side had gained an advantage courtesy of the scheduling, an irritated Klopp replied: "This is what you take out of my answer, that we were helped by the fixture list?

"It's fortunate for both teams, it makes it a fair competition again. If we only had to play at night and Crystal Palace had to play in the heat, at 30 degrees or whatever, that would be a real advantage.

"But it's just a game at night."

Liverpool will be seeking to bounce back from a disappointing opening-game draw at Fulham, which put them immediately on the back foot in what is likely to be another two-horse race for the title, with Manchester City seizing the early initiative.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed doubt that the club will sign a new midfielder before the close of the transfer window, though he hinted it was something he had previously considered.

The Reds' push for the Premier League title got off to a slow start on the opening weekend as they had to come from behind twice in a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Fulham.

Thiago Alcantara limped off during that game, joining fellow midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the sidelines – though Klopp revealed that Keita will return for Monday's trip to Crystal Palace.

With options limited, recent reports have linked Liverpool with Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes, while the Reds have been attributed with long-term interest in Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

Further additions in the market are unlikely, however, with Klopp stating that "conversations" have already taken place and that the "right solutions" are not available.

"I'm happy with the size and quality of my squad, but we have injuries. It's a question of how long the players will be out, there are different solutions for it," he told a news conference.

"One of them is the transfer market, but it only makes sense if you can bring in the right player, not just a player, if it was the right player it would make sense.

"But we actually would have done that from the first day of the transfer window, from the first day of the pre-season, in some cases it's just not possible and in other cases it's extremely difficult. If something is not possible, why should I consider it?

"All of the other solutions are inside the squad. At the moment, we have too many injuries, that's clear. We have a couple of boys coming back, Naby will be back for Monday and Kostas [Tsimikas] will train today for the first time, so he might be back as well.

"That's the situation. I understand the questions but if there were the right solutions, we would have done it already. We're not stubborn or whatever, it's just that it's not the right thing to do.

"People told me at the start of the season that we lack a specific kind of midfielder, I didn't understand that because if you search for specific things, then you always lack something. 

"If there was the right player and if there was the opportunity, then we would have done it, we would do it, but I don't see it because we've had a lot of conversations already and it doesn't look like something that will happen."

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is confident Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba can provide a huge boost to the team, and explained how he is helping both to settle.

The Gunners signed Jesus from Manchester City to fill an attacking void left by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's exit in January and Alexandre Lacazette's move to Lyon following the expiration of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Jesus was on fire in pre-season, hitting seven goals including a hat-trick in the demolition of Sevilla, and made his Premier League debut for Mikel Arteta's side in last week's 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

While the Brazilian was not on the scoresheet, his pressing from the front caught the eye and defender Gabriel has revealed he may have had a small part to play in Jesus' move to north London.

"Gabriel [Jesus] is a really good guy. Of course, it helps that we have the Brazilian link," he told Sky Sports.

"When we were on international duty, we discussed his future and I was telling him, 'Come to Arsenal! Come to Arsenal!' Maybe I had a bit of an influence there."

"He is someone who is very focused and really enjoys working hard. He is here to improve the team and he is already doing that. 

"He has come here with big expectations. He wants to achieve big things with Arsenal. I think he is really going to help us."

In the win against Palace, Gabriel had a new partner at the heart of defence in the form of Saliba, who was making his competitive debut for the Gunners three years after he was signed from Saint-Etienne.

The France international earned an abundance of praise following his performance, including being compared by Gary Neville to a young Rio Ferdinand, and Gabriel believes they can forge a strong relationship on the field.

"He's a young player who came here at a very young age and then went out to get some experience," he added.

"Now, despite his age, he is already playing for the French national team. That tells you how good he is. He's here to help the team and he's a very promising talent.

"He is a good friend of mine already. We speak French together, so that helps. He has added a lot of quality to the team and I think he has a brilliant future ahead of him.

"I have been here for two years now, so I do have experience that I can use to help him.

"But at the same time, he can help me. He has a lot of quality and a lot of physical strength out on the pitch. We have similar qualities. I think we complement each other well."

The European domestic season is now back up and running, meaning we are officially into a World Cup campaign.

For some players, the main focus over the next few months will be remaining fit with the hope of entering Qatar 2022 in peak condition for their respective nations.

For others, the first part of the 2022-23 season will provide an opportunity to play themselves into contention for a squad place ahead of the biggest tournament of them all.

That includes an array of talented stars who have yet to represent their countries at senior level, but who could be given the chance to showcase their talent on the global stage.

With the big kick-off now just 100 days away, Stats Perform has identified five uncapped players who still have an outside shot of glory in Qatar.

Gleison Bremer (Brazil) – 25, centre-back, Juventus

If Bremer was not on the radar of Brazil head coach Tite ahead of the 2021-22 season, the 25-year-old certainly will be now. He ranked first among Serie A defenders last term for duels contested (451) and also led the way for headed clearances (75), showing that he can be relied upon at the back.

Indeed, Bremer's form last time out led to Juventus splashing out a reported €50million to sign him from Torino during the close season. Brazil must be quick, though, as the Italian top-flight's best defender last season is also eligible to represent the Azzurri.

Luis Maximiano (Portugal) – 23, goalkeeper, Lazio

Goalkeeper Maximiano is another who moved to a club of bigger stature just a few months out from the World Cup beginning after swapping relegated Granada, where he impressed in his only campaign, for Serie A side Lazio. The 23-year-old certainly had a chance to showcase his shot-stopping abilities last season, with his 127 saves the most of any keeper in LaLiga, and the fifth-most of anyone in Europe's top five leagues.

Following the departure of long-serving Thomas Strakosha, Maximiano will be installed as first choice at Stadio Olimpico, where Portugal boss Fernando Santos may make a visit or two in the coming months.

Sven Botman (Netherlands) – 22, centre-back, Newcastle United

Despite catching the eye in Ligue 1 with Lille, particularly in 2020-21 when starting 37 of the 38 matches played in their stunning title-winning campaign, Botman has remained on the periphery of the Netherlands squad. He has been a regular for the Oranje at Under-21 level, but after joining Newcastle in a £31.8m (€37m) transfer last month, he is surely now in serious consideration for a place in the senior squad.

Having led the way among Lille players last time out per 90 minutes for successful passes (53.4), blocks (0.84) and headed clearances (2.2), the Dutchman will hope to hit the ground running in another new league.

Benjamin Bourigeaud (France) – 28, attacking midfielder, Rennes

Reigning world champions France are blessed with world-class talent right across the pitch, but could there be room for a wild card in the form of Bourigeaud? The versatile attacking midfielder can play in a number of positions, though was predominantly used out on the right in what was a career-best season last time out in Ligue 1.

While France are hardly crying out for another player to slot into the final third, Bourigeaud's 23 direct goal involvements for Rennes last season is a tally bettered by only four others, while his David Beckham-esque deliveries from wide can provide something a little different for Didier Deschamps' men.

Inaki Williams (Ghana) – 28, forward, Athletic Bilbao

Ghana's squad has been completely transformed since booking their place in Qatar, having persuaded six players to switch allegiance and represent them at the World Cup. Patric Pfeiffer, Stephen Ambrosius and Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer are all available for selection, as are Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey and Mohammed Salisu.

Each of those players will enhance Otto Addo's squad, with Williams – capped once by Spain in a friendly – possibly a game-changing option in attack. He is someone who can be replied upon, too, having appeared in each of Athletic's past 233 LaLiga matches, a run spanning back to April 2016.