Paul Merson admitted that he was really worried for Arsenal ahead of the North London derby when the lineups were announced, and claimed that Fabio Vieira is not good enough.
Merson was speaking to Sky Sports after Mikel Arteta’s men threw the lead away on two occasions to draw with Tottenham.
Fabio Vieira was perhaps a surprise starter at the Emirates. The Portuguese has made a bright start to the campaign. And Arsenal were missing the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Nevertheless, it was a big stage to throw Vieira onto.
Merson doesn’t think Vieira is good enough
Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, his afternoon was over after 45 minutes. Vieira struggled to make much of an impact on the game. And it seems that he would have done little to change Merson’s mind about him as he opened up on the concerns he had before the game.
“I was so confident that Arsenal would win on Sunday but when I saw the teams, I was majorly worried,” he told Sky Sports.
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“Jesus on the wing, Nketiah up front, Fabio Vieira – I don’t think he’s good enough. Then Declan Rice comes off and Jorginho comes on.”
Vieira really needed a big season after a difficult first year at the Emirates. He arrived for a hefty fee. And he failed to really impress during that first season in North London.
He is now battling with fan favourite Emile Smith Rowe for a spot in the team. And Smith Rowe has barely featured in the early stages of this season.
Vieira has provided a couple of assists already. But it was disappointing to see him make such a small impression on Sunday’s game.
At this point, you have to wonder what Smith Rowe needs to do to get more of an opportunity. And you would imagine that Merson will be imploring Arteta to pick the England international ahead of Vieira next time around.
Certainly, Vieira needs to step up again if he is going to be able to justify his place in the side.