Despite disappointing results against Crystal Palace and Brighton, Mikel Arteta has stressed the need to trust his players during the final eight games of the Premier League season.
Nuno Tavares was one of the players referenced in Friday's press conference, but the boss was quick to support his summer singing.
"When I put a player on the pitch, it's because I can see that they are in the right condition to [play]," Arteta said. "To show trust is giving them the opportunity when I believe that he is ready to do that. When I see in the moment that he is doubting, I don't do him any favours by putting him in there.
"[Is there a belief problem] with Nuno? No, not belief. He needs to go through periods like I can show you examples of any player that has been in this squad. Not always good periods, difficult periods. But those difficult periods are the best moments to learn and to overcome and to have the ability afterwards to develop into a much better player.
"If you have the elements to change one piece for another it is simple, when you don't you have to figure out what to do, without putting players in situations where they are not comfortable and trying to exploit the maximum qualities of the players and ask them to do things that they are capable of doing.
"Hopefully you can have every element just to change it and not lose anything. When you don't have that you have to look for other solutions."
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