Arsenal are linked with Portugese international Antonio Silva. The current Benfica star received an opportunity to start against Georgia in Portugal’s last group stage fixture. However Arsenal target was unable to leave his mark and disappointed the fans in last group stage match of Euros.
Portugal were already qualified for round of 16 due to their straight victories in first two games. On top of that Roberto Martinez’s side were guaranteed to finish on top of the table. This gave the Spanish manager a chance to test his other players while giving rest to his first choice players. As a result Antonio Silva started the game alongside Danilo Pereira and Goncalo Inacio. However things went otherwise as Silva failed to leave his mark on the pitch. Silva was involved in both of the incidents when Georgia scored goals.
Silva had to face huge criticism after the game. Portugese news outlet A Bola, gave the 20 year old defender rating of only 3/10. They further said Silva made a tremendous mistake in the second minute which resulted in goal. He again made a mistake resulting in penalty. The Portugese outlet said that Silva left in 66th minute without glory.
Jornal De Noticias, said its a game to forget for Antonio Silva. They also added that Roberto Martinez was stubborn to play with three defenders until the final whistle was blown.
Will Arsenal change their plans after witnessing Silva in Euros
Arsenal are very likely looking to bolster their defense before going into the next season. The North London club had the best defensive unit in Premier League last season. Their regular starting pair Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba were very good throughout the season. However going into the next season there are some of the outgoings reported. Jakub Kiwior is attracting a lot of attention from Italian clubs. Antonio Silva who is only 20 years old is admired by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. It has also been revealed that Arsenal have joined the race to sign Silva.
Benfica are demanding £85 million for Antonio Silva. Silva’s demanded price has been judged quickly after his performance against Georgia. However Arsenal are a big club and they know what to expect from a 20 year old who is playing at the major stage for the first time. Arteta knows what Silva is capable of and what he achieved with Benfica. However the only concern Arsenal will face seems to be the price demanded by Benfica.
Antonio Silva against Georgia
Antonio Silva started against Georgia as Portugal were already guaranteed first place finish in the group. Georgia who were in desperate need for a win to qualify for round of 16 began the game on a positive note. They grabbed all three points by defeating Portugal by 2-0 and secured their place in knockout matches.
Arsenal target was the main reason behind Georgia’s goals in the last group stage match of Euros. Antonio Silva made a critical error in 2nd minute which started a counter attack for Georgia. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for Georgia with a sublime finish. Silva made another critical error by committing foul inside Portugal’s penalty box. Georges Mikautadze who was superb throughout the game made no mistake to dispatch the ball. Silva was then substituted in 66th minute when Portugal were trailing by two goals.
However in some areas, Silva was very good. The 20 year old defender made 2 clearances and 1 tackle. He won 2 out of 3 ground duels and 2 out 2 ariel duels. Silva completed 52 out of 59 attempted passes earning him 88% passing accuracy. He also made 1 key pass. It will be interesting to witness how Silva marks his comeback if he receives an opportunity to play in the knockout fixtures.
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