Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-0 this weekend to move level on points with West Ham in fourth, with two of our better performances being named in Garth Crooks’ Premier League Team of the Week.
The first of those is Bukayo Saka, who was in top form throughout until he had to be replaced with injury. The winger was our most creative outlet, running at defenders and causing all manner of problems to Newcastle, and his perfect angled run to beat the offside before scoring the opening goal shortly into the second half proved to be clinical.
Nuno Tavares is the other Gunner to make the XI, having been credited with the assist for the above goal, as well as having been ever-present in piling the pressure on our rivals this weekend. While he may have taken on a couple of outlandish shots in the opening 45 minutes, his running on and off the ball, the energy used to get up and down the field throughout as we piled forwards relentlessly was amazing. Many of us had been talking as if Kieran Tierney was to walk back into the team after the Portuguese’s display against Liverpool last weekend, but the manager showed his trust in the youngster and it paid off.
We take on Manchester United come Thursday, and it could well be that neither of the duo are in the starting line-up, although the decision on Nuno would unlikely be about form, while we will all be hoping that Saka can prove fit to feature.
Has Tavares earned the right to be the club’s first choice or will Arteta be looking to rotate both him and Tierney?
Patrick
Tavares or Tierney? Both are good. No problem. Saka? He needs a rest so we have Martinelli Pepe Auba Lacazette ESR Odegaard. No problem. United was supposed to be the game where we find out what we learned from the Liverpool loss. But United right now is 8th not much better than Leicester and we beat them away. Probably a good time to go to OT but on paper they do have a stellar squad. I’d take a point I would.