Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that midfielder Fabio Vieira deserves more minutes following his good performance against Sporting tonight.
Arsenal drew the first leg 2-2 out in Portugal this evening with many average performances out on the pitch, however Fabio Vieira was one player who was trying to make things happen & the boss was impressed with his performance.
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Fabio Vieira got an assist for the opening goal as he set-up William Saliba from a corner which gave Arsenal the lead in the 22nd minute.
After the full-time whistle, Arteta singled out the former Porto playmaker for praise, claiming that he was the most dangerous player on the pitch.
When asked about the 22-year-old’s performance, the boss said:
“Really happy with him. I think he deserves more minutes than he’s had, especially in the last two months. Obviously he had a difficult start because we injured for two months after a surgery and wasn’t at the level that we want.
You saw tonight he was probably our most dangerous player. He was always making things happen. He’s a player that I absolutely love.”
READ MORE: Match Review – Sporting 2-2 Arsenal
Vieira, who was signed by Arsenal last summer, has found game time difficult to come by during his debut campaign, behind captain Martin Odegaard and veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka in the current pecking order. The Portuguese midfielder has started 12 games for Arsenal this season, but only 2 coming in the Premier League.
However, when he has been given chances he has performed, scoring two goals and providing a further six assists across all competitions & Mikel Arteta is keen to give the 22-year-old more chances from now until the end of the season.
“He was our most dangerous player” 🔥
Mikel Arteta discusses Fabio Vieira’s performance against Sporting Lisbon 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/addZYMqtWW
— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl) March 9, 2023
