Nuno Tavares joined Arsenal with the intention to battle Kieran Tierney for a starting spot in the side. For a time, he actually succeeded.
Arsenal were without Kieran Tierney during a small portion of the first half of last season and Tavares came in for six consecutive Premier League games. The Gunners won four of them but the 4-0 loss to Liverpool and 3-2 defeat against Manchester United began to show concerns in the Portuguese full-back.
Tierney came back in and Tavares’ next start would come in the infamous 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest where he was substituted for the Scottish international before half-time. An injury to Tierney in the run-in saw Tavares reclaim the spot but it was evident Mikel Arteta remained unsure.