"Today he gave me reasons to play him more"- Mikel Arteta accepts his 'fault' after substitute shines in Arsenal's draw with Fulham
Mikel Arteta has admitted that he's responsible for Fabio Vieira's lack of playing time for Arsenal.
The Portuguese playmaker was signed from Porto for €35 million last summer and played 499 minutes in the Premier League last term. He hasn't found much luck this season either.
Vieira was brought on in the 56th minute of the league draw against Fulham at the Emirates on Saturday (August 26). In his first league appearance of the campaign, he played a key role as the Gunners overturned a 1-0 deficit.
The 22-year-old, who replaced Kai Havertz, made an instant impact. He won the penalty for Bukayo Saka's equalizer before assisting Eddie Nketiah's 72nd-minute goal. Arteta said about the former Porto midfielder to BBC Match of the Day:
"Fabio (Vieira) was involved in everything we created, and I am really happy with that.
"To see players with the ability to make and take chances with quality... It is my fault that Fabio has not played more, and today, he gave me reasons to play him more."
Vieira was an unused substitute in Arsenal's league wins against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace this month. Following his stellar outing against Fulham, he could now compete with Havertz for a starting position, with the Germany international failing to impress in the No. 8 role.
Fulham's Joao Palhinha content with 2-2 draw against Arsenal
Joao Palhinha was the late hero for Fulham in his team's draw against Arsenal at the Emirates.
They failed to record their first win against the Gunners since January 2012, but the Portuguese midfielder was content with the result at full-time. The 28-year-old midfielder told BBC MOTD:
"Unfortunately, we didn't win, but, I think, it is a good result. It is always tough to play against Arsenal. We came to try to win, but the most important thing was the effort we showed until the end, even with 10 men."
Fulham were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute after Calvin Bassey was sent off for receiving his second yellow but defended well to secure a draw. They had just 28% possession and eight fewer shots on target compared to the hosts' 11.
However, manager Marco Silva can take pride in his team's response after they lost 3-0 to Brentford at home before their visit to the Emirates. As for Palhinha, he seems set to stay at Craven Cottage.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool ended their interest in the 28-year-old, with his £90 million price tag playing spoilsport.