Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he is pleased by how quickly new recruits Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey have settled into life at the Premier League club after the duo impressed in Sunday's 1-0 win at Manchester United.
Partey put in a dominant display in midfield, while Gabriel expertly marshalled the defence as Arsenal secured their first win at United since 2006.
"I know how tough this league is ... but we try to pick certain characteristics in the profile of players that we want to find for our club," Arteta told reporters.
"I think they play with a lot of maturity and they look like they've been here longer than they actually have.
"I know that there are still some connections where they don't have that flow, because they haven't played much together. But I also see the spirit they are creating and the personality they are showing on the pitch."
Partey's display also drew praise from former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who said the Ghanaian midfielder reminded him of Arsenal great Patrick Vieira.
"Partey was outstanding. The more I look at him the more I wish he was in the United midfield. He's big, strong and aggressive - and he can pass it forward.
"He can deal with the ball," Keane told Sky Sports.
"I had my battles with Vieira and I think this kid has got a chance of matching what Patrick used to do."
Meanwhile, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba took the blame for his team's defeat after giving away the second half penalty that decided the outcome.
Pogba clipped the foot of Hector Bellerin with a poorly judged challenge inside the box, which he described as "stupid", and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted the penalty.
"We know it's a poor performance. Myself, I cannot give a foul away like this," Pogba told the BBC.
"I thought I would touch the ball but I didn't. (I) cost us the goal today with the penalty.
"I shouldn't have given a penalty away like that. Maybe I was a bit out of breath, it made me do this stupid mistake. I will learn from that, I'm not the best defensively in the box, I can work on that," he added.
"Like I say, details. We have to do better, the team, myself, it starts with me," said the French World Cup winner, who was recalled to the starting line-up in the Premier League after being left out following the 1-6 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last month.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was disappointed with his team's display after the excellent 5-0 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League and did not spare Pogba from the criticism.
"He needs to stay on his feet. Paul knows it's a soft penalty to give away," said the Norwegian.
"We were too sloppy, too many passes went astray and the rotation was not there. Too many things that can go wrong in a game did for us today. Today we didn't get the response we hoped for.
"In the first half, we never turned up. The intensity, the tempo wasn't there, the shape - they were better than us and created a couple of half-decent chances.
"In the second half, they didn't look like they were going to score, apart from the penalty. So we played better in the second half but still we have to turn up with more intensity," he added.
- Reuters
Arteta impressed with Arsenal's new signings after win at United
Image: SHAUN BOTTERILL / REUTERS
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he is pleased by how quickly new recruits Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey have settled into life at the Premier League club after the duo impressed in Sunday's 1-0 win at Manchester United.
Partey put in a dominant display in midfield, while Gabriel expertly marshalled the defence as Arsenal secured their first win at United since 2006.
"I know how tough this league is ... but we try to pick certain characteristics in the profile of players that we want to find for our club," Arteta told reporters.
"I think they play with a lot of maturity and they look like they've been here longer than they actually have.
"I know that there are still some connections where they don't have that flow, because they haven't played much together. But I also see the spirit they are creating and the personality they are showing on the pitch."
Partey's display also drew praise from former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who said the Ghanaian midfielder reminded him of Arsenal great Patrick Vieira.
"Partey was outstanding. The more I look at him the more I wish he was in the United midfield. He's big, strong and aggressive - and he can pass it forward.
"He can deal with the ball," Keane told Sky Sports.
"I had my battles with Vieira and I think this kid has got a chance of matching what Patrick used to do."
Meanwhile, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba took the blame for his team's defeat after giving away the second half penalty that decided the outcome.
Pogba clipped the foot of Hector Bellerin with a poorly judged challenge inside the box, which he described as "stupid", and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted the penalty.
"We know it's a poor performance. Myself, I cannot give a foul away like this," Pogba told the BBC.
"I thought I would touch the ball but I didn't. (I) cost us the goal today with the penalty.
"I shouldn't have given a penalty away like that. Maybe I was a bit out of breath, it made me do this stupid mistake. I will learn from that, I'm not the best defensively in the box, I can work on that," he added.
"Like I say, details. We have to do better, the team, myself, it starts with me," said the French World Cup winner, who was recalled to the starting line-up in the Premier League after being left out following the 1-6 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last month.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was disappointed with his team's display after the excellent 5-0 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League and did not spare Pogba from the criticism.
"He needs to stay on his feet. Paul knows it's a soft penalty to give away," said the Norwegian.
"We were too sloppy, too many passes went astray and the rotation was not there. Too many things that can go wrong in a game did for us today. Today we didn't get the response we hoped for.
"In the first half, we never turned up. The intensity, the tempo wasn't there, the shape - they were better than us and created a couple of half-decent chances.
"In the second half, they didn't look like they were going to score, apart from the penalty. So we played better in the second half but still we have to turn up with more intensity," he added.
- Reuters
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