Gabriel provides his view on Saliba after taking White's place in Arsenal team

Gabriel has hailed William Saliba after the Frenchman earned the man of the match award in his first-ever senior appearance for Arsenal.

Saliba lined up at centre-back alongside the Brazilian, with Gabriel's partner last season Ben White shunted out to right-back for the visit to Crystal Palace. Having taken the Englishman's place at the heart of defence, Saliba went on to put in an impressive performance at Selhurst Park.

He won 100 per cent of his aerial duels, made seven recoveries and six clearances to help the Gunners keep a clean sheet. Remarkably, considering he was on the side where Wilfred Zaha lined up, Saliba was not dribbled past once.

His display is likely to hand boss Mikel Arteta a major selection headache for his central defence. And Saliba has now received the backing of Gabriel as he looks to keep his place for the visit of Leicester this weekend.

"He's a young player who came here at a very young age and then went out to get some experience. 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," Gabriel told Sky Sports.

"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.

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"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."

Gabriel also revealed that he has been taking more of a leadership role within Arsenal's defence this season, something he is thriving with. And he believes that the Gunners are in for a successful campaign, having missed out on the top four last term.

"I like having that responsibility. It's important to have leaders in defence who communicate a lot with the whole team. We are all improving our communication, I think. We are definitely in a better place now," he added.

"There were lots of changes at the club in the summer and it was important to make a good start. The determination and focus we showed against Crystal Palace were key to getting the three points.

"I think when new players come in, they always boost the level of quality in the squad. That goes for the new signings but also the players who have come back from loans. Everyone is here to help the team. Having more quality will help us get Arsenal where it needs to be."