Chris Sutton tore into Nuno Tavares on BBC Radio 5 Live for his efforts during the first-half against Crystal Palace, but felt the full-back was not the only Arsenal player who struggled.
An injury to Kieran Tierney over the international break forced Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to field Tavares at Selhurst Park. The Scotland star felt an issue in his knee upon returning to north London, so he will visit a specialist on Tuesday to determine his time out of action.
Tavares had not started a Premier League fixture since the Gunners lost 3-2 at Manchester United on December 2. He had also only featured for 33 minutes of top-flight football over their following 14 fixtures before facing the Eagles. Only eight minutes had come in 2022.
Arteta has seemingly lost faith in his £7m summer signing from Benfica since his strong run of form through October and November. Tavares impressed with his driving runs from left-back whilst Tierney recovered from an ankle injury. Yet his form is far from those heights.
Tavares played just 35 minutes at Nottingham Forest as Arsenal lost in the FA Cup before Arteta hauled him off. The 22-year-old had started at the City Ground, but was continually out of position and was wasteful with the ball. And things did not improve on Monday.
Chris Sutton slams ‘particularly poor’ Nuno Tavares for role in Arsenal defeat
Against Crystal Palace, Tavares managed to last until half-time, but was somewhat at fault for the first two goals Arsenal conceded. Particularly the first, when he ducked out of the way for Joachim Andersen to divert Conor Gallagher’s cross in for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Sutton namedropped Tavares as one Arsenal player who endured a disappointing first-half at Crystal Palace on Monday. But in response to Arteta taking the Portugal U21 dynamo off for Gabriel Martinelli, the ex-Premier League ace noted he was not the only one struggling.
“Nuno Tavares had a particularly poor first-half,” Sutton said. “But then so did many of the Arsenal players.”
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