Fabio Vieira has compared himself to Bernardo Silva ahead of Arsenal’s second leg against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League.
Vieira joined the Gunners from Porto for £34million in the summer but has played a limited role in their title charge, starting just two Premier League games. He arrived in north London with an injury, but has gradually become more involved in Mikel Arteta’s side, picking up two assists in his past five appearances.
The 22-year-old could be involved in Arsenal ’s second leg against Sporting on Thursday night after setting up a goal in their 2-2 draw in Portugal last week. Vieira is convinced he can make a difference for the Gunners and compared himself to Manchester City star Silva in the pre-match press conference.
“He’s an extraordinary player, I know him very well,” Vieira told Portuguese reporters, via O Jogo. “I think we are similar players, with similar qualities. Of course I admire him.”
As a slight, left-footed Portuguese playmaker, the similarities between the two players are clear to see. Vieira has a long way to go to match his compatriot, however, with Silva boasting 52 goals and 56 assists in 290 appearances for City.
Nevertheless, it’s not the first time the comparison has surfaced, with Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe stating it upon his arrival at the club in the summer. He said: "He's very similar [to Silva]. He's a very good passer of the ball, his left foot is very good and he likes to create goals and score them himself.
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“I've already played against him at international level, so I can't speak highly enough of him, and the fans should be really excited. At the Euro Under-21s, they [Portugal] beat us 2-0 and he was unbelievable in that game."
Vieira grew up idolising another left-footed playmaker, as well as his country’s greatest ever player. He told the club's website : “Growing up, I liked [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi – Messi because I’m like him in the way we play, and Ronaldo not because he’s Portuguese but I appreciate him. He’s an example for everyone, works hard every day and has a strong mentality.”
Arteta recently revealed that Vieira had been giving him “ headaches '' in his selection through his strong performances in training. While he has been a regular starter in the Europa League, Vieira is yet to break into the starting XI in the Premier League, with 15 of his 17 appearances coming off the bench.
“He is starting to give me big headaches because I see every single day what he is capable of doing,” Arteta said last month. “A tremendous player; he now understands exactly what we want and physically he is in a condition to compete at the right level in this league.
“He brings qualities that we don’t have in the squad. [I’m] very eager to give him more [minutes].”
