Arsenal's 2-0 win over Newcastle United not only kept the Premier League title race alive but may have also reinforced the idea to keep hold of Kieran Tierney.
For the Scot to even be contemplating his future is something of a surprise given, it was only a year ago when the left-back was a leading candidate to become the Gunners' next permanent captain as the armband eventually made its way over to him after Alexandre Lacazette was replaced during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
In addition, when Tierney took the armband instead of Granit Xhaka during Arsenal's win over Brentford last February, it was revealed that he was effectively the vice-captain: "Because Kieran [Tierney] was the next in line, that's why," Mikel Arteta told reporters as the decision caused quite a fuss at the time.
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However, the 25-year-old has dropped down the pecking order regarding the Arsenal captaincy this season as he's behind Martin Odegaard, Xhaka, £45m summer signing Gabriel Jesus and Rob Holding too - based on events when the pair came on against Aston Villa back in February.
Although, the captaincy situation is the least of Tierney's issues at the moment. It's safe to say the Scotland international is no longer an automatic starter following the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer and reports claim he will make a decision on his future at the end of the season.
Despite starting only five Premier League games so far, there's no suggestion that the defender isn't still an important part of Arteta's plans having come off the bench a further 19 times, not to mention his ever-present record in the Europa League as well as the domestic cup competitions.
But it's worth remembering that Tierney missed the climax of the 2021/22 campaign after undergoing knee surgery and this, coupled with his less-than-impressive injury record since joining the club almost four years ago, ultimately forced Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar to sign adequate cover.
And it just so happens that the £32million deal for Zinchenko has turned out better than many expected. Of the pair, the Ukraine international is evidently more suited to the inverted full-back role on the left flank and it explains why he starts, particularly in the Premier League, when fit and available for selection.
Yet it doesn't mean Tierney won't get his fair share of opportunities. He was unfortunate that Arsenal were already out of both cup competitions before the end of January as that was one route for more game time, as was the Europa League until the club's exit at the round of 16 stage.
Looking ahead to next season and with the Gunners back in the Champions League following a six-year absence it means Arteta has to make full use of his first-team squad to cope with the demands of a game every three to four days.
Furthermore, it's worth noting that Zinchenko's form has dipped in recent weeks. Caught out defensively a number of times, it was noticeable that Tierney was brought on earlier than usual against Newcastle and he proved his worth by negating the home side's threat down the right-hand side whilst also playing to his strengths and not inverting like his rival.
As a result, this can leave Arteta and Edu with an easy decision of keeping hold of Tierney. Whilst the reality is that he's no longer a guaranteed starter when fit, he is key to Arsenal having impressive depth and different profiles in the full-back department to compete on several fronts next season and this should provide more opportunities.
Of course, a lot depends on what the Scot wants to do as his cameo appearance at St James' Park may have been an audition to potential suitors like Newcastle who have been tipped to secure his signature, but with the Gunners needing to bolster in other areas this summer, keeping hold of Tierney could be their best piece of business.
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