Arsenal legend Ian Wright has criticized Nuno Tavares for giving away a silly penalty against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Gunners have turned up the heat in the top-four battle with two successive wins. A victory against Chelsea in midweek and a 3-1 win over Manchester United have propelled them back into the fourth spot in the PL table.
Since his move to north London from Benfica, Tavares has endured a tough start to life in the English capital. On Saturday, he had another turbulent performance. Although the Portuguese did open the scoring, the youngster endured a difficult time at the back.
The 22-year-old continued to be a threat going forward and took a couple of shots from the edge of the box but he was very poor defensively. Anthony Elanga caused all sorts of problems for him. On one occasion the United man was brought down in the box after a clumsy challenge from Tavares.
The visitors were awarded a penalty in the second half after the ball hit the Portguese’s arm. He had his arm outstretched in the air, and the referee, Craig Pawson, immediately pointed to the spot.
Ian Wright was shocked by the incident. He was baffled that his arm was there in such an unnatural position. While speaking to The Match of the Day, the 58-year-old said:
“You can’t be going up with your arm like that, Tavares, there’s no question about that. I can’t understand why his arm’s up there. No doubt.”
Arsenal fever View:
Tavares looks erratic in games and has been making some poor choices. The penalty incident against United is a clear example of this. He was not in any position to win the ball, yet he left his arm hanging in the air in a very unnatural position. He was also let off the hook earlier in the game when he brought down Elanga in the box.
The former Benfica man has got the potential, but it will take some time before he can start delivering consistent performances. Mikel Arteta will have a lot to ponder before he deploys Tavares next time.
Tottenham Hotspur’s draw against Brentford on Saturday night means the Gunners now have a two-point lead over their north London rivals in the fourth spot. Arteta and his men will be determined to continue their good form and secure a return to Champions League next season.
Read More: Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United: Four Talking points from the game
