Arsenal flop sets Serie A ON FIRE

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 16 Oct 2024 13:56 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal exile Nuno Tavares is enjoying a brilliant start to the season on loan at Lazio, and has already set a historic record.

The flying left-back has made five appearances for Lazio and grabbed an assist in all five of these games.

In the process, Tavares has become the first player in over two decades to make an assist in each of his first five matches in Serie A.

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In all of Europe, only his former Arsenal teammate, Bukayo Saka (seven), has more assists in the continent’s top five leagues.

This summer, Tavares joined Lazio from Arsenal on loan with an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation and undoubtedly the best left back in the league in these early weeks of the season.

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He has been a constant force of nature down the left flank, bombarding at speed past the full-back and whipping in dangerous crosses.

His performances have helped a Lazio side who endured something of a revolution this summer up to joint-third in the table.

Nuno Tavares at Arsenal

Arsenal will be watching Tavares’ performances wondering what might have been.

The Gunners signed the Portuguese left back from Benfica in 2021 for a fee of around €10 million.

However, he struggled in his first season at the club - especially in the defensive phase - and was perhaps somewhat unfairly mocked by fans.

Tavares was loaned out to Marseille in the 2022-23 season where he impressed and even managed six goals in Ligue 1.

After Marseille were unable to make his move permanent he spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest where he again failed to make much of an impact.

This season, though, Tavares appears to have exploded into the player Arsenal hoped they were signing from Benfica.

If he continues these performances, it will not be long until he earns a call-up to the Portugal national team.