The selection of Nuno Tavares, in for the injured Kieran Tierney, sparked plenty of pre-match debate and apprehension at how the young Portuguese full-back would cope with the occasion.
In short, he absolutely nailed it. Tavares’ attacking fervour was joyful and in particular, the combination and understanding with Emile Smith-Rowe had the Arsenal crowd locked in from the first minute. Everyone was invested in watching the pair combine throughout the game.
Speaking after the game, Tavares couldn’t contain himself to speak about how much he had enjoyed making his debut in England’s top flight. Saying, “It was an amazing environment, always good and I enjoyed it. It was good for me.
The numbers revealed that Tavares and Smith Rowe combined more than anyone else on the field. The 30 combinations between the two were only seconded by Gabriel and Ben White in addition to Takehiro Tomiyasu and Bukayo Saka both with 17.
For comparison, during the north London derby win over Tottenham, Kieran Tierney and Smith-Rowe combined just 13 times which was the 6th highest frequency of passing partnerships on the day.
Tierney is appreciated as one of the best left-backs in the league and he will be missed while he is out for what he brings to the side in leadership skills alone.
However, considering that Granit Xhaka was the unorthodox back-up at the end of last season, technical director Edu has found a brilliant replacement whilst he is unavailable, and the Portuguese defender will surely now look to establish himself in that slot.
The pair played with such a close positioning that one was always available for the other. Even looking at the average passing position in the below graphic shows both Tavares (20) and Smith-Rowe (10) practically on top of one another.
When in comparison to the north London derby graphic, Tierney’s average passing position remained in his own half and further from Smith-Rowe.
It is also worth noting how Gabriel’s position changed. The Brazilian defender stayed far more reserved, allowing his Portuguese full-back to attack freely up the flank and have the security behind him. Also helped the awesome display of Sambi Lokonga.
Could this be the blossoming of Arsenal’s next great left-flank? With the two just 21-years of age, the Ashley Cole and Robert Pires comparisons have plenty of years to manifest themselves.
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