Kieran Tierney made his long-awaited return to the Arsenal starting XI following well over a year out of the side on Wednesday. He excited supporters during the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, and created a couple of classic Tierney-esque chances with crosses into the box.
Tierney was even seen further up the field than Leandro Trossard at times, playing far more as a wing-back than a full-back. When asked about this after the game, Mikel Arteta made reference to the need to play to a player’s strengths.
“He’s playing to his strengths, that’s something that we have to continue to learn because they give you a lot of information,” he said. “They tell you not sometimes with their words but with a lot of information, where they feel more comfortable, and certainly there is a much better fit for him.”
Tierney fell out of favour at Arsenal due to the inverted nature the left-back role took on under Arteta. The Spaniard has used a number of players in the Scotsman’s stead, most notably Oleksandr Zinchenko. But other right-footed players have also played there and moved inside including Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori and centre-half-by-trade Jakub Kiwior have offered more of a defensive edge to the role. It was Myles Lewis-Skelly, however who replaced Tierney as the youngster takes advantage of the triple injury hitting the left full-back role.
