 |
| Image:Getty / Goal |
The Gunners’ latest signing was on target as Mikel Arteta’s side drew 2-2 at Ibrox in their second pre-season friendly of the summer
Nuno Tavares’ debut couldn’t have gone much better in terms of expectations.
On Tuesday night, the Arsenal new boy was upset when paperwork difficulties caused him to miss the 2-1 defeat to Hibernian.
However, the £8 million ($11 million) Benfica signing was given the go-ahead to play against Rangers on Saturday, and he put in an eye-catching 45-minute performance that showed why the Gunners were so anxious to bring him in from Portugal.
Mikel Arteta’s side drew 2-2 with Scottish champions Rangers at Ibrox, with the left-back scoring an equaliser in the first half to conclude an excellent debut.
Tavares will know that opportunities could be few and far between this season, with Kieran Tierney the undisputed first choice left-back at Arsenal.
So, when chances come, he will need to take them, and he did just that at Ibrox, showing that he could be a valuable asset to Arteta this season
His goal, which came on 23 minutes, was a perfect example of why Arsenal worked so hard to beat off rival interest to sign him from Benfica.
His attacking instincts saw him draw a tackle from a Rangers defender and then, after cutting inside on his right foot, he drilled a fine finish into the far corner.
One of Tavares’ main assets is how comfortable he is on his wrong foot.
He may be a naturally left-sided player, but he is very strong on his right, so much so that when first broke through into the Benfica side he was used as a right-back.
So, he will add real versatility to Arteta, should the Arsenal boss need another option on the right side of his defence.