As debuts goes, this was one that couldn’t have gone much better for Nuno Tavares.
The Arsenal new boy was left frustrated on Tuesday night when paperwork issues forced him to sit out the 2-1 defeat at Hibernian.
But the £8 million ($11m) arrival from Benfica was given the green light to be involved against Rangers on Saturday and produced an eye-catching 45 minutes display which demonstrated why the Gunners were so keen to bring him in from Portugal.
The left-back scored a first-half equaliser to cap an impressive debut as Mikel Arteta’s side drew 2-2 with Scottish champions Rangers at Ibrox.
Tavares will know that opportunities could be few and far between this season, with Kieran Tierney the undisputed first choice left-back at Arsenal.
So, when chances come, he will need to take them, and he did just that at Ibrox, showing that he could be a valuable asset to Arteta this season
His goal, which came on 23 minutes, was a perfect example of why Arsenal worked so hard to beat off rival interest to sign him from Benfica.
His attacking instincts saw him draw a tackle from a Rangers defender and then, after cutting inside on his right foot, he drilled a fine finish into the far corner.
One of Tavares’ main assets is how comfortable he is on his wrong foot.
He may be a naturally left-sided player, but he is very strong on his right, so much so that when first broke through into the Benfica side he was used as a right-back.
So, he will add real versatility to Arteta, should the Arsenal boss need another option on the right side of his defence.
But while Tavares’ performance was a big plus point against Rangers, the form of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be a bit of a worry to Arteta.
Getty
The Gunners skipper missed three glorious chances in the first half at Ibrox. The first, he made himself, winning possession deep inside the Rangers half, before racing into the box and curling an effort over the top.
He then sent a header wide from a glorious Cedric Soares cross before somehow failing to find the target after a shot from the impressive Emile Smith Rowe had been pushed into his path by Allan McGregor.
All three were the type of chances you would expect the Gabon international to put away with ease and while Arteta will not lose too much sleep about it at this stage of the summer, he will know how important it is to have Aubameyang firing this season.
Just like against Hibernian on Tuesday night, this was a game Arsenal should have won comfortably. But a host of wasted opportunities left them needing a late equaliser from Eddie Nketiah to salvage a draw.
Rangers barely created a chance in open play throughout the 90 minutes, but twice went in front from corners.
Leon Balogun scored the first, glancing a header into the far corner after escaping the attentions of Mohamed Elneny and then, Cedric Itten scored the second with another header after beating Kieran Tierney in the air.
The nature of both goals will be a concern to Arteta, especially after also conceding a goal to a set piece against Hibernian in midweek.
But there were plenty of positives for the Arsenal boss to take from the game.
The form of Thomas Partey will be a real boost, with the Ghana international looking very sharp in the heart of midfield.
After such an injury-disrupted first year at Arsenal, Partey will be looking to kick on this season and he looked really sharp against Rangers, both in terms of his defensive work and with the ball at his feet.
The speed of his passing was very encouraging and he went close to scoring early in the second half with one powerful effort which was kept out by McGregor.
Tavares’ impact will also have pleased Arteta, as will the performance of Smith Rowe, who was a constant menace with his driving runs from the No.10 position.