Miach Richards praises Arsenal star Nuno Tavares after Saturday’s win.
Micah Richards praised Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares for his performance in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium.
Goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli gave the Gunners a return to winning ways after last week’s beating of Liverpool.
The 21-year-old Tavares started at left-back for the fifth straight game and was very impressive during yesterday’s win.
The talented youngster came to North London from Benfica over the summer as a direct competitor to Kieran Tierney.
He has had to wait patiently for the opportunity to shine on a regular basis, but now he is looking to seize the opportunity that Mikel Arteta provides.
Richards was desperately impressed and praised the defender at Game of the Day on Saturday night.
He said: “He was excellent and I’m not saying it just because he’s a winger, he was really one of the best players on the field.
“What I liked about him was that he just didn’t stay, at every opportunity he went ahead and moved on with quality.
“Krafth had an absolute nightmare against him today, he ends up fouling him multiple times.
“He is 21 years old, he is from Benfica. Now he is confident and having fun. It was brilliant today, it really was. ”
He is not without blemishes, but it is clear that Tavares may have a bright future at Arsenal.
He currently keeps Tierney out of the team and that’s a statement in itself.
The Gunners will next face Manchester United and it will be interesting to see if Tavares maintains his place in the team.
The Portuguese player is energetic, useful in possession and is capable of bombarding up and down the field for 90 minutes.
Tavares looks like one from the future, but in the end he’s showing Arteta that he can do a job here and now too.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.