Reiss Nelson came off the Arsenal bench to make his first Gunners appearance since August 2021 during a 3-0 win over Bodo/Glimt – and Nuno Tavares has posted a two-word verdict on his return, on Nelson’s Instagram post.
Nelson, 22, is in the final year of his Arsenal contract and it is widely believed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. Following his initial breakthrough, and shining on loan at Hoffenheim, things have gone downhill.
During the 2020-21 campaign, the England Under-21 ace was afforded just nine senior appearances. It saw him go on loan to Feyenoord last term, where he impressed in glimpses – having a hand in 11 goals during 32 appearances.
He returned to Arsenal in the summer and was linked with an exit – but has stayed. On Thursday night, he came off the bench for the last 10 minutes – and even came close to scoring. He posted on Instagram following his Arsenal return.
Tavares has posted verdict as Nelson came off Arsenal bench
Nelson actually finds himself with a decent opportunity to convince Mikel Arteta he can still make an impact at Arsenal. The Gunners are lacking in options out wide, especially after Nicolas Pepe was allowed to leave the club on loan.
Joining Nice, Pepe even scored on Thursday night. Emile Smith-Rowe has gone under the knife to correct an injury. It saw Gabriel Martinelli start, despite the Brazilian being a regular starter in Arsenal’s Premier League side.
Bukayo Saka also came off the bench. But there is a lack of cover for the front two, with Marquinhos arguably the next-best option – but he is still a rookie, and struggled on Thursday night. Nelson has a path into the senior side.
Tavares, who was thrown out on loan to Marseille after a tricky first season and the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko, commented on Nelson’s Instagram. He posted a two-word message, telling Nelson to “show them”.
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