Arsenal had a bitter experience at Selhurst Park last Monday when they visited Crystal Palace for their Premier League clash. The Gunners were outplayed in all areas of the pitch by the hosts, who won with a convincing scoreline of 3-0. One man who had a particularly forgetful night was left-back Nuno Tavares.
This was his first start since December but the player was substituted at half-time after struggling to make an impact and leaving the defense vulnerable. Arsenal legend Ian Wright discussed the 22-year old on his podcast Wrighty's House and his belief in him to become a star in the future.
He said:
"You look at someone like Tavares and you think you hope that he’s getting the coaching that he needs right now, because we know that he’s fantastic, he’s a fantastic player."
Ryan Hunn, the co-host of the podcast, suggested:
"I think he’s a player who could suit playing in a back three."
Wright agreed that it could be a way of getting the most out of the Portuguese. He concluded by acknowledging that Arsenal found it difficult to beat the press and play through Palace on the night.
“Yeah, because he’s very attacking and we couldn’t get out against Palace and we have to take it on the chin that we didn’t duke it out with them.”
This was the second time this season that Mikel Arteta was not impressed by Tavares, who started the game at Selhurst Park only because Kieran Tierney was injured. The 22-year old did not even get to play until half-time earlier in the season against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. He was replaced by Tierney after just 35 minutes.
The former Benfica left-back has been adventurous when allowed to move forward in attacking areas. However, he needs to work on his positional awareness and defending to challenge for a starting spot.
The going gets tough as Arsenal chase top-four finish in the Premier League
In what was a case of an ex-player returning to their former club as a manager and robbing them of all three points, Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace continue to impress. The Frenchman has done some amazing work this year by bringing down the overall age of the squad and working well with the young crop.
He's also made them a team that now likes to play possession football and their intensity was impressive against Arsenal.
The defeat marks a significant blow to Arsenal's top-four hopes, who were in a better position than all their rivals before the game against the Eagles. Local rivals Tottenham Hotspur are now in the fourth-spot with 54 points, the same as the Gunners but with a better goal difference.
Mikel Arteta and co. do have a game in hand and there is also a north London derby left to be played which will be crucial in this race. However, he will be very worried after the recent injuries.
Kieran Tierney is out for the rest of the season after knee surgery. Thomas Partey picked up an injury against Crystal Palace which will keep him out for a significant amount of time. Takehiro Tomiyasu is already on the sidelines as Cedric continues to deputize for him at the right-back position.
It will be interesting to see how Arsenal manage the situation with a difficult list of fixtures awaiting.