By Gabriel Agbonlahor

11th Jan, 2022 | 3:51pm

Arsenal may have 'lost' Tavares for a long time after embarrassing development - pundit

Mikel Arteta may have “lost” Nuno Tavares for a long time after embarrassing him at Arsenal, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker claimed Taveres will be “fuming” after being dragged off in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round on Sunday (9 January).

The left-back was hooked after just 35 minutes at the City Ground and was replaced by Kieran Tierney.

As quoted by the Daily Mirror after the game, Arteta insisted he made his decision to improve the faltering performance of his side.

It did not work as Forest won the game via Lewis Grabban in the closing stages as Brennan Johnson broke down Arsenal’s left to provide the cross.

Asked for his verdict on the decision to substitute Tavares, Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “You could have lost him for a long time now, that was disrespectful.

“I don’t think he was having a crazy bad game. Managers sometimes have power trips and I think Arteta was having a power trip there when he embarrassed a player like that. If I’m Tavares there I’m fuming.

“Arteta is quick to forget when Tierney was out how well Tavares did. That just shows managers aren’t loyal to players sometimes.”

Tavares enjoyed a run of six Premier League starts between October and December last year (2021) as Arsenal recorded four wins.

He has managed just 32 minutes of top-flight action in their last six top-flight games as Tierney has come back into the starting XI.

In other news, a club have finalised an Arsenal player signing after a seven-figure fee was agreed.