Gabriel Paulista insists he has nothing to prove to Arsenal anymore, as he prepares to face his former club with Valencia in the Europa League semi-finals.

There should be a couple of former Gunners involved in Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday, with Francis Coquelin and Gabriel both now with the La Liga side. It’s fair to say the pair have been more popular with their managers over in Spain, starting regularly whenever they’re fit.

It was a different story in North London, of course, where both became squad players by the end of their time with Arsenal. You might think that would motivate them to show what they can do on Thursday, but Gabriel insists he’s already proven himself.

“With all respect to Arsenal, I have nothing to prove to them anymore,” Gabriel told the Independent. “In the Premier League, I tried to prove my worth but I didn’t get the chances.

“When I played, it was often because of an injury to my teammates. I deserved more opportunities. I was sad because I knew I had the ability to play. But other people didn’t think so. I’ve proven myself here and now I just want to keep showing what I can do for Valencia.”

In his final campaign with Arsenal, Gabriel only started 15 league games all season. He had a couple of runs in the team, but then he’d make a mistake and suddenly be out of the picture for a series of games. That certainly did nothing to help his confidence when he was playing.

At least things are going well for the 28-year-old now with his new club. Hopefully, he’ll have an off day on Thursday though.