AS A professional footballer, the very least you can do is try your hardest, that’s the minimum the fans expect.
When you play at the highest level, and few arenas are as unforgiving as the Premier League, you have to be switched on at all times.
Nuno Tavares was hooked by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta at half-time following a dire 45 minutes at Selhurst ParkCredit: Reuters
Lapses in concentration are usually punished.
When Nuno Tavares gets home tonight and reflects on his first-half performance, can he really say he was satisfied with that appearance?
When the Portuguese defender gets round to watching this horror show back with Arsenal coaching staff, the first thing he should do is hold up his hands and profusely apologise.
If he is feeling charitable perhaps he can give away his week’s wages because that was not how a Prem footballer should be behaving.
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The 22-year-old was given a rare start at left-back following the news that Kieran Tierney has suffered what could be a damaging knee injury.
But Tavares was partly to blame for the opening Crystal Palace goal scored by Jean-Philippe Mateta, crashing to the floor as Joachim Andersen showed more intent to attack the Conor Gallagher free-kick.
And for the second, well Tavares STOPPED running and did not bother to track the run of Jordan Ayew, who gratefully put the Eagles 2-0 ahead when Gabriel missed the Andersen through-ball.
Jamie Carragher, a former defender of distinction, someone who knew when he had underperformed, felt that Tavares deserved to come off at half-time.
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Clearly he had read the mind of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Tavares did not come out for the second half, replaced by striker Gabriel Martinelli as the formation and personnel was shifted around.
The same thing happened in the embarrassing FA Cup third round defeat at Nottingham Forest when Tavares was hooked on 35 minutes.
On a bad night for the club, it gives Arteta a headache about the long-term implications for the left-back position.
Clearly Tavares is not ready to carry on like this – if he plays this badly against Palace, what will he be like against Chelsea or Manchester United this month?
Kieran Tierney may miss the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury while on international dutyCredit: Getty
There are fears that Tierney could play no part for the rest of the season after returning from international duty with a knee issue.
SunSport understands the Scotland full-back, 24, is out of both Arsenal’s push for a Champions League place – plus Scotland’s crunch World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine in June – and may require surgery.
Arteta said: “He came back from international duty and felt something wrong in his knee.
“There is some damage there. We will hopefully know more on Tuesday but not looking good.”
