“Hope that he’s getting the coaching that he needs right now” – Ian Wright makes honest admission about ‘fantastic’ Arsenal player

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has expressed his concern about full-back Nuno Tavares being substituted after the first half of the 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace for failing to make an impact.

The Gunners had a bitter experience at Selhurst Park last Monday when they were outplayed in all areas of the pitch by the hosts. One man who had a particularly forgetful night was left-back Nuno Tavares.

This was the 22-year-old's first start since December but the player was substituted at half-time after struggling to make an impact and leaving the defense vulnerable. Arsenal legend Ian Wright discussed Tavares on his podcast Wrighty's House and his belief in him to become a star in the future.

He said:

"You look at someone like Tavares and you think you hope that he’s getting the coaching that he needs right now, because we know that he’s fantastic, he’s a fantastic player."

Ryan Hunn, the co-host of the podcast, suggested:

"I think he’s a player who could suit playing in a back three."

Wright agreed that it could be a way of getting the most out of the Portuguese. He concluded by acknowledging that Arsenal found it difficult to beat the press and play through Palace on the night.

“Yeah, because he’s very attacking and we couldn’t get out against Palace and we have to take it on the chin that we didn’t duke it out with them.”

This was the second time this season that Mikel Arteta was not impressed by Tavares, who started the game at Selhurst Park only because Kieran Tierney was injured. The Portuguese was substituted in the 35th minute itself earlier in the season against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. He was replaced by Tierney in the game.

The Benfica academy graduate joined the Gunners from the Portuguese giants in 2021 for a fee of £7.2 million. He made 41 appearances across two seasons in all competitions for Benfica before switching to north London, giving an impressive seven assists. At Arsenal, he has made 11 starts in 21 games across competitions, giving two assists.

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The going gets tough as Arsenal chase top-four finish in the Premier League

In what was the case of a former player returning to his club as a manager and robbing them of all three points, Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace dominated the Gunners.

The defeat marks a significant blow to Arsenal's top-four hopes, who were in a better position than all their rivals before the game against the Eagles. Local rivals Tottenham Hotspur are now in the fourth-spot with 54 points, the same as the Gunners but with a better goal difference.

Mikel Arteta and co. do have a game in hand and there is also a north London derby left to be played which will be crucial in this race. However, he will be very worried after the recent injuries.

Kieran Tierney is out for the rest of the season after knee surgery. Thomas Partey picked up a thigh injury against Crystal Palace which will keep him out for a significant amount of time. Takehiro Tomiyasu is already on the sidelines as Cedric continues to deputize for him at the right-back position. These statuses were confimed in the latest report by Football London.

It will be interesting to see how Arsenal manage the situation with a difficult list of fixtures awaiting.