Former Arsenal player Kevin Campbell has called upon Mikel Arteta to give Fabio Vieira a bigger role in the first team in a recent interview.
Campbell said that Vieira has ‘done great when he’s come on’ in games and that ‘he’s helped change [games] when people are tired’.
Despite his positive comments made on the Portuguese superstar, Campbell also said that he would not play Vieira in Arsenal’s next game against Everton. He said he would instead play Kai Havertz, citing the German’s superior physicality for his reasoning.
Campbell played for Arsenal between the years of 1988 and 1995, scoring 46 goals along the way – he also turned out for other Premier League clubs, such as Nottingham Forest, Everton and West Bromwich Albion over the course of his career.
What did Kevin Campbell say about Fabio Vieira?
Speaking to The Gooners Pod, Campbell said: “Listen, I think [Fabio] Vieira, you can say Vieira’s done great when he’s come on and he’s helped change [games] when people are tired.
“But let’s be real here, for me, you don’t change the winning team, you keep it, you keep it going. Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe and [Leandro] Trossard, they’re going to get their opportunities in the cup competitions.
“We’ve got Champions League coming up, everybody’s going to get game time and then after that when you see who’s really performing that’s when you make your decision.
“I think against Everton I think Kai Havertz is going to be needed for his physicality and his size as well. I don’t think Vieira starts but he’s going to get his chance.”
Should Fabio Vieira get more of a chance in the Arsenal first team?
Currently, it is difficult to argue Vieira’s case – even when all of his many talents on the pitch are taken into account. Where attacking ranks are concerned, there are few teams in world football that are stronger than Arsenal.
Generally, Vieira plays out wide for Arsenal, though he is also capable of playing in central midfield. As such, he must contend with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Leandro Trossard for a spot in the starting XI.
