Harry Kane equalled Thierry Henry's record for the most goals scored in Premier League London derbies as Tottenham beat Fulham 2-1.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring in the first half and former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno kept the score respectable with several fine saves.

Kane was able to double Spurs' advantage after tapping home from close range, with the goal also taking him third in the competition's all-time scoring chart.

Fulham were not done though, Aleksander Mitrovic scoring for the fourth consecutive game, though it proved to merely be a consolation.

Spurs had the ball in the net after just 10 minutes, Son firing a cross into the area that went all the way through and past Leno, but the offside flag was raised due offside team-mates in the middle.

The South Korean came close again shortly after the half hour mark, latching onto Kane's chipped pass over the Fulham defence to control with his chest but striking the crossbar with his attempt.

The breakthrough came five minutes before the break, Spurs winning possession with the press and Hojbjerg playing a neat one-two with Richarlison before driving a low effort into the far corner.

In the second half, Leno had to be alert to deny Ryan Sessegnon from netting against his former side and was again required to prevent Son's deflected effort.

With 15 minutes remaining, Kane tapped into the empty net to score his 43rd Premier League goal in a London derby.

The action was not done though, Mitrovic maintaining his scoring run before Richarlison saw a late goal ruled out for offside.

Jurgen Klopp declared Liverpool did all they could to win Saturday's Merseyside derby, with only the brilliance of Jordan Pickford denying them victory at Goodison Park.

The Reds manager witnessed a gripping 0-0 draw in which England goalkeeper Pickford's eight saves meant Liverpool had to accept a point for their efforts.

They almost matched the drama of Wednesday, when a stoppage-time winner from Fabio Carvalho secured victory over Newcastle United. This time, well past the regulation 90 minutes, Pickford touched Mohamed Salah's shot against the base of the right post.

Klopp said: "It was a real derby, super intense and with a lot of really spectacular moments."

Everton thought they had snatched a second-half lead when Liverpool academy graduate Conor Coady tapped in from close range, but he was just offside.

"I didn't see it back but I think if they watch it long enough it probably was offside," Klopp said.

He saluted a "sensational save" from Alisson, who denied Neal Maupay in the second half, but Pickford was the obvious star of the show.

"We hit the post three times, and a few unbelievable saves by Pickford. Wow. What can you do," Klopp said on BT Sport.

"You have to dig in really deep, that's what we did. In the end it's nil-nil, which sounds strange, but that's it."

Liverpool had 23 shots to Everton's 14, as the Reds failed to score in a Premier League game for the first time in 2022. This was their 25th game in the competition since the turn of the year, and the Reds had last drawn a blank when losing 1-0 at Leicester in December.

"It's been a super intense week for us," Klopp said. "On Wednesday night we had a really tough game and had to go to the wire, and a few days later you play here.

"I don't know how many derbies I've played now, quite a few, but it's always difficult and it was difficuilt today."

Carvalho came off at half-time with a muscle injury above the knee, described by Klopp as "one of the most painful things you can get".

That was a downside, as was the result from Liverpool's perspective, considering they hit the woodwork three times, through Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.

Liverpool have failed to win any of their first three away league games in a single campaign for the first time since 2010-11, when they drew four in a row under Roy Hodgson's leadership, but Klopp recognised the derby had been quite some match.

"This game was not bad, at all, it was just a tough one," he said. "I don't forget that they had a big chance. The goal was offside so I don't count that, but it was close, but when Ali made a save [from Maupay] that was proper. Apart from that we had bigger chances but it's okay now."

Jordan Pickford enjoyed putting on a goalkeeping masterclass as Liverpool and Everton finished goalless in a gripping Merseyside derby.

The Premier League tussle at Goodison Park saw Pickford make eight saves, most of them stunning efforts, to keep Liverpool blank on the scoresheet.

His final stop came deep into stoppage time as Mohamed Salah set his aim on the bottom-right corner, with the faintest of touches from Pickford perhaps proving the difference between the ball sneaking in and striking the post, as it did.

As the ball bounced away, Pickford knew his efforts had been instrumental in ensuring local bragging rights were shared.

Asked whether he got a fingertip to that strike, Pickford told BT Sport: "Of course I did! It was one of them. I think I had a good game today, helping the lads.

"You need loads of leaders on the pitch and I think you can see that with the spirit we've got that. We didn't get three points but we got a draw and we keep building now."

His eight saves ranks as the most Pickford has made in a Premier League game while keeping a clean sheet, whether for Everton or his previous club, Sunderland.

The England goalkeeper was almost matched by Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson, who pulled off four saves, including a crucial stop to deny Everton new boy Neal Maupay.

Liverpool hit the woodwork three times in all, with Pickford turning a shot from Darwin Nunez against the bar and Luis Diaz sending a thumping drive against the right post.

Asked about the goalkeeping show, Pickford said: "It was good, yeah. Alisson made some wonderful saves as well – that's our job, help the team when they need it and it's my first clean sheet of the season, another building block for us as a team to get better."

Everton thought they had found a goal midway through the second half when Conor Coady tapped in after Maupay sent the ball across the six-yard box, but the defender had strayed narrowly offside.

"Very unfortunate [to have a] goal disallowed, you can see it was very tight," Pickford said. "I think we're just building, we've got that character now as a team and that team spirit, it's pushing us on. We haven't got a win on the board yet, but we've been hard to beat."

Everton have drawn four consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run from October into November in 2012, which contained a 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

Liverpool, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games against Everton (W3 D9) since a 2-0 loss in October 2010. 

The derby honours are often shared, and Pickford said of Everton's progress under Frank Lampard: "Four points, four draws, hard work, commitment, we'll keep building, get stronger and get the wins."

Jordan Pickford frustrated Liverpool with a stunning goalkeeping performance in an absorbing 0-0 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.

The England number one made a string of excellent saves, while opposite number Alisson also had to be sharp to prevent a home win in a Merseyside derby that could have been flooded with goals.

Both sides rattled the frame of the goal in the first half, Everton through Tom Davies before Liverpool's Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz followed suit, while Mohamed Salah was also denied by the woodwork late on.

Chances flowed in an open game, and Everton thought they had snatched the lead midway through the second half when former Liverpool academy player Conor Coady touched in Neal Maupay's cross, only to be denied when a VAR checked showed he was inches offside.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson made a smart early save to gather Anthony Gordon's fizzing strike after an Everton corner was only half-cleared, and the hosts came within a whisker of the opener when Davies smacked a shot from 12 yards against the left post.

Jurgen Klopp's visitors showed their threat before the break, though, when Nunez's excellent strike was tipped against the crossbar by Pickford, and from the rebound Diaz crashed a howitzer of a drive against the right post.

Seeking greater control, Klopp withdrew youngster Fabio Carvalho and brought on the experienced Roberto Firmino for the second half, with Liverpool soon asking more questions of Frank Lampard's men.

Nunez saw a volley comfortably gathered by Pickford, then Nathan Patterson went close for the Toffees, as Virgil van Dijk deflected his shot wide.

Amid a determined effort from the Reds to find a breakthrough, Pickford saved from Firmino twice in quick succession, firstly tipping a shot wide before parrying the Brazilian's header from a corner.

The goalkeeper thwarted Fabinho from close range too, before Everton debutant Maupay wasted the biggest chance of the game after a rapid counter-attack, shooting straight at Alisson who made himself big and pulled off the save.

Coady thought he was the hero, but closer examination of his 69th-minute tap-in left Everton deflated, their winless run at home in the league against their city rivals extending to 12 games.

It could have been worse, as Salah, quiet for so much of the game, almost won it in stoppage time, his shot cracking off the foot of the right post.

The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga may not be finished, with new reports he has agreed to terms on a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Ronaldo, 37, has come off the bench in each of Manchester United's last three wins on the trot, with his only start of the season coming in the 4-0 loss at Brentford.

With the transfer window shut in England, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and most of Europe's top leagues, it seemed like Ronaldo was destined to remain with United until at least January – but the Turkish window remains open until September 8.

TOP STORY – RONALDO STILL WANTS OUT OF OLD TRAFFORD, AGREES TO FENERBAHCE MOVE

Turkish Super Lig outfit Fenerbahce could be set for a massive influx of star power after Ajansspor reported Ronaldo has been convinced by the club's Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus to make the jump.

No team in the Super Lig has scored more than Fenerbahce's 13 goals in four games this season, and more firepower could be on the way as club president Ali Koc is reportedly on board with the move, with just last details required to finalise things.

Koc has experience with high-profile signings, having convinced Ronaldo's former Real Madrid team-mate Mesut Ozil to sign last season, collecting eight goals and two assists in 22 league matches before opting to remain in the Super Lig for another campaign, moving to Istanbul Basaksehir.

ROUND-UP

– Marca is reporting Paris Saint-Germain offered Manchester City the chance to sign Neymar as the deadline approached, but they declined.

– According to The Athletic, Tottenham had serious interest in Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, but could not thrash out a deal.

– The Manchester Evening News claims the United board vetoed a move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech.

– Ajansspor is reporting Fenerbahce are working on a transfer for Leicester City's Turkish centre-back Caglar Soyuncu.

– Leicester City still have interest in adding another centre-back, with 27-year-old free agent and Belgian international Jason Denayer their main focus, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Sunday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal is a fixture that in years gone by would have had significant ramifications in the title race.

United and Arsenal spent the best part of the noughties fighting it out for honours in the prime years of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. It was box office stuff.

That pair of legends have since left their posts and both clubs have stuttered as a result, with title glory now beyond the realm of expectation as the sides instead focus on achieving a top-four finish and Champions League football.

In the 2022-23 season, neither will be in Europe's elite competition, with Arsenal in the midst of a five-year Champions League drought and United finishing sixth last term – the fifth time in nine seasons outside of the top four.

Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag are the men tasked with improving upon that record at their respective clubs, the Gunners having stood firm despite struggles at the start of last season and United turning to the former Ajax boss ahead of the new campaign.

In modern football, unlike in the eras of Ferguson and Wenger, it is not just the management who have a direct influence in proceedings, with executives in the club's hierarchy having a major say on transfer market activity.

Both clubs fell into disarray in the market after the departures of their long-serving managers, Arsenal making expensive mistakes in Nicolas Pepe and United spending close to a billion on an array of recruits in the post-Ferguson era.

Under the watch of Edu, Arsenal now appear to be moving forward with a clear plan alongside Arteta, demonstrating a ruthlessness in the past few years to oust numerous high-earning players from the squad – creating room for recruits like Gabriel Jesus.

In the three seasons since Edu has been in charge of transfer activity, following the departure of Raul Sanllehi, the Gunners have allowed the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Willian and Shkodran Mustafi to leave the club by cancelling their contracts.

In the wake of those bold decisions, Arsenal have not readily sought like-for-like replacements, instead freeing up room in what was viewed as a bloated wage bill. 

Alongside this, Arsenal have made a conservative effort in the transfer market to create a squad that can be a success for years to come, particularly in the last two seasons.

Since the 2021-22 campaign, Arsenal's only recruit above the age of 25 is the capture of goalkeeper Matt Turner in the current window – a player who stands as the understudy to first-choice stopper Aaron Ramsdale and a replacement for Bernd Leno, who joined Fulham.

Edu appears to have learnt lessons from 2020-21, his first season at the helm, where five of six recruits were above the age of 25 – Thomas Partey, Pablo Mari, Alex Runarsson, Willian and Cedric Soares.

At United, the overall look of the recruitment drive paints a vastly different picture. In the past two seasons, five of nine recruits fall into the 25 or over category; Raphael Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Heaton, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. In the season prior, Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani fall into that category.

It is also worth identifying the sums paid for players of this ilk, with Arsenal's deal for Turner reportedly worth up to £7.5m if add-ons are met, a figure that is dwarfed by United's reported spending.

Since the 2021-22 transfer window, United have reportedly splashed over £100m on the deals to land Varane, Ronaldo and Casemiro – with add-ons in those deals potentially seeing a further rise in costs.

While Ronaldo was able to repay his fee with 18 Premier League goals last term, he has pushed for an exit in the current window due to a desire to play in the Champions League, but, in the case of Varane, United splashed further money on Lisandro Martinez despite already having Varane and Harry Maguire in the squad.

United's questionable approach in the market has also come under scrutiny amid deals that were reportedly eyed but not completed, including apparent intentions to sign Marko Arnautovic and Adrien Rabiot in the current window, then setting sights on Ajax's Antony and concluding a whopping £86m deal.

Time will tell whether Arsenal's approach is successful but the club appear to have all their major pieces moving in the right direction, while at United it is a difficult task to put your finger on exactly what the plan is.

Sunday's result may provide bragging rights for the winning team but in the long-term battle, there appears to only be one winner.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte believes it is a "pity" that Harry Kane is yet to win a trophy in his career.

The England skipper has seen many personal records achieved and could equal another on Saturday against Fulham, where a goal would see him match the 42-goal tally of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in London derbies.

Despite Kane's free-scoring form for club and country, the 29-year-old is yet to lift silverware.

For Spurs, Kane suffered defeat in the 2018-19 Champions League and lost two EFL Cup finals, while at international level he captained the England team that was beaten by Italy on penalties in the final of the European Championships at Wembley last year.

Conte expressed his disappointment for Kane in that regard, though added his side are pushing to change the narrative this season.

"The record underlines that you are doing something special and I think Harry in his career is doing something special in personal achievements," he said during Friday's press conference.

"It's a real pity that with so many goals... until now he didn't win [trophies].

"Usually when you score a lot of goals for your national team, for your club, you deserve a good win on your back. 

"But we're trying to work and help him to get this target. You know very well for us that Harry is an important player and we're talking about a world-class striker, but I also see in Harry the desire to do something special.

"The win means you lift the trophy, you win Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup or Champions League, with the national team; the World Cup, European Championship. These are trophies that you have to lift and you're talking about a top player and I think he deserves this."

Tottenham's fine start to the season has built upon a strong finish to the end of the last campaign, which saw Conte's side pip north London rivals Arsenal to a top-four finish, with Spurs unbeaten in their last 11.

Armando Broja has signed a new six-year deal with Chelsea, securing his future after a wealth of reported interest in the transfer window.

The 20-year-old caught the eye during a loan spell with Southampton last season, scoring six times in the Premier League, with Everton and West Ham reportedly keen on a similar deal in the recently closed window.

However, Broja remained with Thomas Tuchel's side, having featured off the bench three times in the opening five games of the Premier League season.

The signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona on Thursday led to queries on whether Broja would continue to earn first-team opportunities, but Chelsea have shown a strong commitment to the Albania international, with chairman Todd Boehly stating he is a "big part of our plans moving forward."

Broja said: "I'm lost for words really just thinking about it. It's the club I've dreamed of playing for my whole life, the club that I support and the club that I love.

"I've been here since I was a boy so it's a surreal feeling for me and my family."

Aubameyang is likely to compete with Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz to lead Chelsea's attack, but with Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner having both left Stamford Bridge, Broja should have plenty of chances to prove his worth in a congested season due to the upcoming Qatar World Cup.

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.

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."

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.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can smash the "curse" of the Chelsea number nine shirt and become a Blues favourite, according to boss Thomas Tuchel.

Former Arsenal captain Aubameyang completed a return to the Premier League on Thursday when he left Barcelona in a deal worth £10.3million (€12m), signing a two-year deal.

As well as winning over Chelsea fans who remember him as a recent opponent from a rival London side, Aubameyang also faces the task of living up to his shirt number.

A string of well-known strikers have struggled to impress as Chelsea's number nine, including Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao and more recently Romelu Lukaku.

Head coach Tuchel dismissed concerns over Aubameyang's attitude, after a four-year spell at Arsenal came to an acrimonious end in February, insisting he knows the Gabonese striker well enough from their time together at Borussia Dortmund for there to be no cause for worry.

"Auba is in my point of view always happy to fight for something and to accept the challenge," Tuchel said. "The more challenges he has, the better it is.

"If he wants to overcome the number nine curse or he wants to show someone in London that he's better than people think about him, the more the better, because he's up for that and he's happy.

"I know him as very focused and in general very open and a person with an open heart and happy to be on the pitch every day.

"This is what we wanted. He's a very positive influence on any group. He is up for any challenge and he's happy to be on the pitch and score goals."

Tuchel said Aubameyang was "ready to write his own history" at Stamford Bridge, explaining: "I imagine everybody's happy he chose the club in blue now instead of the club in red."

His portrayal of the former Gunner as an instinctive grafter might surprise some, but Tuchel hailed Aubameyang's pressing qualities and his work rate.

"That's what made him special in Dortmund, when he worked for me, and it's what made him captain of Arsenal, and he lifted some trophies there," Tuchel said.

"I think just to reduce him on his last half a year or half season [at Arsenal] where things became difficult ... I cannot judge it, but it's very rare in these situations where it's one person's problem.

"I'm not there to judge about anything, because it is none of my business. I can just tell you how I met Auba and how Auba was for me. At any club he scored and won titles. he has a winning mentality and he has the positivity to be a huge influence in that group."

Chelsea face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, but Aubameyang will play no part as he recovers from a jaw injury sustained when his home was raided by burglars on Sunday.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 16 home league games against West Ham (W11 D4), going down 1-0 in November 2019, yet their overall home form is not the best at present, with just six wins against all opponents from their last 16 Premier League home matches (D8 L2)

West Ham manager David Moyes has won none of his 17 Premier League away games against Chelsea (D7 L10) and his team have a meagre two goals from five games this term.

Chelsea badly need a win after a midweek loss to Southampton, and Tuchel said: "We need to step up. If we don't get tough we will get punished all the way.

"This is not what we want. It is not what we are up to. It's proven that we can do it with this group so we need to find the right spirit and attitude throughout all the matches. This includes me, my staff and the team.

"From now on we will show a new face and we will have to show a new toughness."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has detailed the club's injury issues, with Thomas Partey out for "weeks" and Mohamed Elneny set to be absent for "months".

The Gunners have enjoyed a perfect start to the Premier League campaign with five wins from five but face a stern test at Old Trafford on Sunday against Manchester United, who have bounced back from a slow start to register three consecutive wins.

Midfield injuries have become an issue for Arteta, though, forced to make changes in back-to-back matches in the middle of the park with Albert Sambi Lokonga deputising as Granit Xhaka's partner in midweek.

Arsenal have further problems, too, with Oleksandr Zinchenko missing the last two games and yet to train with the team, while Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard will be assessed on Saturday.

"Ramsdale and Odegaard have been assessed and we will see more tomorrow. Hopefully they'll be available to train with the team," Arteta said in Friday's press conference.

"Alex [Zinchenko] missed two games and has not been able to train with team yet. For Mo [Elneny], we are talking months. 

"With Thomas [Partey], we are hopefully talking weeks and even shorter than that. We have tried to manage him. A lot has happened since he's joined.

"We are trying the possible way to find reasons for that. Unfortunately, his body and mind are too difficult to try to put finger on to identify one factor. Attitude is there. He's really disappointed and wants to get back."

Arsenal attempted to make a late move to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa but were unable to thrash out a deadline day deal, with Arteta admitting he may look towards the academy for players to make the jump.

"We had to react. We tried, but we have to bring in the right player for the team and for the club but didn't manage to do that," he added.

"It's the team we have. For me, it's the best squad and team I have available. There is nothing else we can do. We have an academy as well that we have to use, and we will try to do that the best possible way."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has played down the rising expectations on Erling Haaland, citing the post-match reaction to the forward's scoreless debut in the Community Shield against Liverpool.

All eyes were upon the Norwegian in the season opener against Jurgen Klopp's side but Haaland struck a blank, missing a number of opportunities, and it was instead Liverpool's big-money recruit Darwin Nunez who stole the headlines.

The situation has shifted significantly since the start of the Premier League campaign though, with Haaland setting a record by hitting nine goals in his first five appearances in England's top-tier league.

That includes back-to-back hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, allowing City to keep up the chase with early pacesetters Arsenal at the summit of the table.

Expectation upon Haaland has risen as a result, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher backing him to be one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen despite just being a month into the season.

Asked about those predictions, Guardiola stated he was not able to peer into the future and spoke about his delight at how quickly his new additions have settled.

"I admire all the people that can anticipate what is going to happen in the future, I'm not able to do it," he said in Friday's press conference.

"One month ago it was a disaster because of the Community Shield, now he's going to break absolutely everything. I'm not able to anticipate absolutely everything that is going to happen.

"I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, so to imagine what is going to happen in one, two, three years? We are delighted because he has settled well, not just Erling but all the new players.

"First and foremost, the backroom staff especially, it's so important how they help to adapt, to settle quickly with the new players. It's really good and that's why it is easy, that's why it is the most important thing."

Haaland is not the only new face in City's attack to catch the eye, with Julian Alvarez also impressing in his early appearances, netting a brace in the midweek demolition of Forest, and Guardiola heaped praise upon the Argentine.

"We are more than delighted that the club bought these two fantastic strikers, we're very pleased with Julian," he added.

"He scored one with his right, one with his left foot, both finishes were amazing. The work ethic, it's really good, really good that we have the two of them and in many games they will play together, that's for sure."