Mikel Arteta identifies Arsenal's advantage over Porto amid "insider" claim

Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira could provide the Gunners with an advantage ahead of their Champions League clash against Porto.

The north Londoners are gearing up for their first knockout tie in the competition since 2010 and Vieira appears to have shaken off an injury to travel with the rest of his Arsenal team-mates. He'll be entering familiar territory, given the 23-year-old spent the entirety of his career prior to his 2022 on the books of the Portuguese giants.

Vieira made the move to the Emirates for a fee of £34million after his Porto performances caught the eye of the Arsenal hierarchy. Undeniably, the Portugal Under-21 international has failed to live up to the hype that greeted his arrival and currently finds himself below the likes of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz in the midfield pecking order.

Despite this, Arteta has made clear that Vieira's presence for this particular away trip is a boost for the Gunners. Speaking ahead of the first-leg showdown at the Estadio Dragao, the Arsenal boss explained: "He was really pushing because he wanted to be here, that’s for sure.

"And having an insider, someone that has experience and lived the culture and the club, gives you a lot of information.

"It’s very important because in Europe, it’s very important to understand the context of the game; where you’re going, what type of opponent they are, what type of club they are, what type of atmosphere you’re going to be facing. And he gives us a few important information that are relevant for us."

Vieira has just two Premier League goals to date in his Arsenal career, as well as four assists. That marks a steep decline from the 14 league assists he managed during his final season with Porto.

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