Paul Merson thinks Arteta’s going to pick ‘fantastic’ Arsenal player on Saturday, he’s started just twice all year

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Paul Merson believes Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will stick with Nuno Tavares at left-back despite substituting him at half-time against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The young Portuguese defender, who joined the Gunners from Benfica last summer, has had a frustrating 2022.

He has started just two games this year and on both occasions, he was hauled off – first after 35 minutes against Nottingham Forest in the cup and most recently, at half-time against the Eagles in the Premier League.

Tavares has received severe criticism this week from some Arsenal fans, pundits and the media. A few have even claimed that he shouldn’t play again this season, but Merson thinks Arteta will give him another go this weekend.

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Paul Merson: Nuno Tavares will start for Arsenal vs Brighton on Saturday

Arsenal take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League tomorrow and Arteta has a few really tough decisions to make. It’s unclear who will start at left-back, but Merson seems fairly confident that it will be Tavares.

He wrote in his column on Sportskeeda: “Nuno Tavares struggled against Palace but you have to understand that it’s hard for someone to come straight into these kinds of games and get going immediately.

“I felt a bit sorry for the bloke because he wasn’t playing for a bit and all of a sudden, he got thrust into the action.

“I think he’ll be alright in the weeks ahead and should keep his spot in the team in Kieran Tierney’s absence.”

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Tavares’ 2022 has made many people forget how good he can actually be.

The 22-year-old started six games in a row in the Premier League at the back end of last year and he was brilliant. He even kept Kieran Tierney out of the side in that period, which isn’t easy for anyone to do, let alone a kid who’s in his first-ever season in the Premier League.

Branded as a ‘fantastic player’ by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, Tavares definitely has the potential to become a top-quality left-back in the coming years. However, his issue at the moment is his confidence, which is shattered after getting hauled off in each of his last two starts.

Merson’s right, Tavares is likely to keep his place against Brighton tomorrow and a good performance against the Seagulls may just help restore his confidence.

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