Former Arsenal striker, Kevin Campbell is unhappy with Nuno Tavares after his mistake against Liverpool on Saturday night.
The Gunners’ ten-game unbeaten run was brought to an end as the Reds dominated to finish with a 4-0 victory. Mikel Arteta stuck with the same formation that has brought success recently. The only change from Watford game was the inclusion of Thomas Partey, who has recovered from an injury.
Arteta’s men held their defensive shape for the majority of the first half, but they got stretched once Liverpool got into their stride. Aaron Ramsdale was in great form and made some outstanding saves before Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the latter stages of the first half.
It was a comfortable second half for the hosts as the north Londoners made plenty of unforced errors. Perhaps, the most fateful error was made by Tavares.
The Portuguese made a loose back-pass which was latched onto by Diogo Jota, who weaved past the defenders and the keeper to double the home team’s advantage. It did not take too long for the Reds to carry on from that momentum to make it four goals to the good.
While speaking on the Highbury squad YouTube channel, Campbell alluded to Tavares’ mistake and felt that was the turning point of the game. As a result of that, he gave the youngster a 3/10 rating.
“I don’t understand how he could pass it there. I don’t understand. Look, Tavares he made a mistake. I’ll give Tavares a three today. That second goal was the killer.”
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Arteta made a huge decision in retaining Tavares in the Arsenal starting lineup ahead of the first-choice left back, Kieran Tierney. It is a testament to the youngsters performances in the recent fixtures. He has been a perfect back-up and Tierney wasn’t missed during his absence.
However last night, Tavares’ inexperience shone throughout the game. It goes on to show that he is still a raw talent. But, it is important to bear in mind that he is just 21-years-old. As time progresses, he will only improve and the Emirates club have got a very talented player on their hands.
This result was a learning curve for this young team. They are well within the reaches of a top-four spot and the game against Newcastle United next weekend presents them with a perfect opportunity to edge closer towards that coveted Champions League spot.
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