Arsenal manager Unai Emery has backed loanee signing Dani Ceballos to adapt to life fast in the Premier League, saying that the Real Madrid man's recognition of the challenges he faces will set him in good stead.
The Los Blancos star arrived at the Emirates Stadium last month on a season-long deal after he was excluded from coach Zinedine Zidane's plans for the new La Liga season.
The Spaniard has impressed already for the Gunners, helping them to a strong start to the new domestic season, but he admitted that he had felt out of his depth during his side's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool ahead of the international break.
“They take the air from you," the 23-year-old then stated. "You spend so much time defending and when you want to do something with the ball, when you want to breathe, they're back on top of you. They're very well-drilled."
Now, speaking ahead of his side's return to action this weekend, Emery has taken Ceballos' words to heart as a positive encouragement for the central midfielder to change his game and meet the challenges of the English game.
"Every player when they come to a new competition and a new team, they need some adaptation," Emery stated ahead of Arsenal's encounter with Watford.
"He is playing, he played for example in Liverpool and he told us that he knew in that moment how difficult it is to play in the Premier League, above all against a team like Liverpool.
"That’s good. He recognises he needs that adaptation. In each match, each training, it’s very important for him to adapt faster with us, with the new ideas, with the new team and new team-mates and opposing teams.
"Really, his wish is very important for helping us and giving us his skills and his quality for each training and each match."
Arsenal currently sit fifth in the Premier League coming into the weekend after drawing 2-2 with rivals Tottenham in their final game before the international break, having won their opening two matches of the season.
They kick off their European campaign next week, too, with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.