Despite Oleksandr Zinchenko starting at left-back in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Spurs, he has been absent for the Gunners' last five fixtures due to a calf injury. Zinchenko had featured in every Premier League match for the Gunners since making the switch from Manchester City until he was ruled out with an injury against Fulham in Arsenal's fourth game of the season.
But in Zinchenko's absence, Tierney had slotted into the left-back role and had proven to be a useful alternative as the Gunners sat at the top of the Premier League. Takehiro Tomiyasu has also put himself into the mix, as in the last three Premier League games, the Japanese international has started at left-back.
However, there has been much debate about whether Tierney or Tomiyasu should be the main alternative to Zinchenko, and this discussion became even more intense after Arsenal’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Southampton.
