Is Fabio Vieira brave enough for Arsenal?

When Fabio Vieira was announced as an Arsenal player, it came out of nowhere, but the general feeling was that Arteta had found his very own Bernardo Silva.

The young talent recorded six goals and 14 assists in 27 league appearances during Porto’s title-winning campaign, but so far, he has failed to make an impact at Arsenal with just one goal and two assists in 20 Premier League appearances.

After arriving injured, his slow start was put down to not having a pre-season, but that excuse is no longer valid, due to him having six weeks off during the World Cup, and almost a full season to acclimatize.

Last night was possibly his worst performance in an Arsenal shirt, and if anything he looks lightyears away from the player who wowed fans against Brentford in September.

Physique and confidence look like they’re a big part of the problem, but he has had a considerable amount of time to work on his frame, yet still looks unequipped for the demands of the league. But, more worryingly, he looks timid, which is perhaps the reason he doesn’t arrive quickly enough to the ball, something which is key to more slight players.

Smaller players have adapted in the past. However, they all had one hallmark characteristic: bravery. Last night, Fabio Viera was hiding. He wasn’t prepared to put his body on the line for his teammates, and he looked like a kid.

However, he’s not. He turns 23 next month and is two months older than Emile Smith Rowe, who he is currently being picked ahead of.

His invisible performance was summed up by his lack of on-the-ball actions all night. In 60 minutes, he managed just 36 touches and completed 22 of 29 passes, losing possession nine times.

To put this into context, Leandro Trossard who replaced him has 33 touches, and completed 21 of his 24 passes, including his superb ball into Jesus which led to Arsenal’s equaliser, and rattled the bar minutes later with a long-distance effort.

Like Vieira, Trossard is a small, slight player, but he is not short of bravery. From the day he arrived in England, he has thrown himself into duels, and he has played direct, brave football; something which Vieira has the ability to do.

It is time that Arteta started asking serious questions about his overall ability, and not just his technical ability, as last night he kept Jorginho, Smith Rowe and Trossard out of the starting 11, and Arsenal were essentially playing with 10 players.

If Arsenal are to really kick on, he is a player that needs to step up quickly. The club has invested a lot of money in him, and he now needs to repay it.

It may not happen this season, but he has a huge pre-season ahead of him. The fans have been patient, but that is wearing very, very thin.