Garth Crooks has admitted on BBC Sport that he had not taken much notice of Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares until the match against Newcastle United.
The former Tottenham Hotspur forward was impressed by how Tavares played for Arsenal in their 2-0 win against Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend.
The 21-year-old Portuguese left-back provided the assist for the first goal in the Premier League game.
Crooks wrote on BBC Sport: “This kid had passed me by, but he’s certainly on my radar now. I’ve always admired full-backs who are not afraid to try and have an impact on the game.
“If Tavares wasn’t running into the opposition’s half with the ball he was trying to put one of his team-mates through on goal. The assist for Bukayo Saka’s goal was quite brilliant.”
Nuno Tavares is an Arsenal gem
Tavares got his chance due to injury and fitness concerns over Kieran Tierney.
And he has made the most of them.
The 21-year-old had a bad game against Liverpool, but the youngster bounced back with a brilliant display against Newcastle.
The left-back tried to score himself a number of times in the first half, but he was better in the second period and gave a very solid display.
Tavares took took six shots, played one key pass, had a pass accuracy of 91.7%, won one header, took 95 touches, attempted two dribbles, and put in four crosses.
Now, we know that Tierney will be back in the Arsenal starting lineup soon.
However, in our opinion, the way Tavares, who cost Arsenal £6.8 million (The Guardian), is playing right now, he does not deserve to be dropped.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
