If Arsenal want to achieve their aim of becoming a team that fights for trophies on all fronts, then Kieran Tierney’s situation should become the norm.
Since joining the club, Tierney has been virtually undroppable, and whenever he has been out injured, the team’s dip in performance has been stark.
That, however, is no longer the case, as the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko has left Tierney fighting for his place. He has started just three Premier League games this season and it is why the Europa League has become crucial for the Scot, as he looks to win his place back.
Tierney has started all of Arsenal’s European games and he is expected to do so again tonight, as Arsenal take on PSV.
“I think he understood certain decisions,” said Mikel Arteta. “Like any other player, he wants to play as many minutes as possible. We try to communicate with them individually when we can to give them some reasons.
“And after they just need to work hard and accept and give us the right reasons, which are always on the pitch and not in training or knocking on someone’s door, to make sure that it is that obvious that someone deserves to start the game.”
Arteta will be delighted by the level of competition for places he now has in his squad, and the challenge for Tierney is to win his spot back. The manager has clearly thrown down the gauntlet to the Scot to prove he is the No1 left-back at the club, with tonight’s game an ideal stage for the 25-year-old.
Arsenal are top of Group A, with maximum points from their opening three matches, but PSV are just two behind them in second.
Since Ruud van Nistelrooy was appointed their boss in the summer, they have become an attacking side and no Eredivisie club has scored more goals than them this season.
That is largely thanks to Cody Gakpo, who has 13 goals and 11 assists in 18 games and is being scouted by Arsenal and other Premier League clubs. Gakpo and the PSV attack will take some stopping tonight and keeping them out will undoubtedly boost Tierney’s hopes of re-establishing himself in the first XI.
“I think what Ruud has done with his team, the way they play, you just see the amount of goals they are scoring in their domestic league,” said Arteta. “The way they are performing in the Europa League as well, they are a really dangerous team.”
