Ashley Cole agrees with Martin Keown about Arsenal star Kieran Tierney following Tottenham win

Arsenal acquired the higher of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, coming from behind to win 2-1 on the Emirates Stadium.

After falling behind to Erik Lamela’s expertly taken opener, the Gunners, who return to UEFA Europa League motion on Thursday night after they face Olympiacos on the Emirates Stadium within the second-leg of their last-16 showdown, turned the sport on its head because of targets both aspect of half time from Martin Odegaard and Alexandre Lacazette.

Although the victory, which secured Arsenal their first win over Spurs since December 2018, didn’t transfer them above tenth within the Premier League desk, it did guarantee they stored themselves within the working to safe Europa League soccer forward of subsequent season.

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With ten video games of the Premier League season to go, Mikel Arteta’s aspect discover themselves 5 factors behind sixth-placed Liverpool, that means their aspirations of ending within the top-six this season are removed from over.

Despite falling behind in opposition to Spurs on Sunday, the Gunners, actually for essentially the most half, had been the extra dominant of the 2 sides, commonly wanting the extra prone to rating. Time and time once more the Gunners had been getting down their left-flank, focusing on Gareth Bale and Matt Doherty, and inflicting limitless issues by means of Kieran Tierney and Emile Smith Rowe.

While Smith Rowe has not had an inclination for commonly enjoying out huge this season, Tierney has acquired higher and higher because the season has gone on when getting ahead from left-back. The overwhelming majority of Arsenal’s assaults come down their left hand aspect with Tierney the architect-in-chief.

During his first two seasons on the Emirates Stadium, the Scotland worldwide has continued to go from strength-to-strength, cementing himself as one of the crucial invaluable gamers inside Arteta’s squad.

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And his efficiency in opposition to Spurs on Sunday afternoon drew particular reward from former Gunners centre-back Martin Keown, who waxed lyrical about the best way the previous Celtic man had mixed with Smith Rowe on the left flank.

Keown instructed BBC Sport: “[Kieran] Tierney and [Emile] Smith Rowe, the positions they took up, had been excellent.

“He [Tierney] stored discovering him into the pockets of area and pulling Tottenham’s midfield huge the place they didn’t wish to go, [Gareth] Bale didn’t provide something defensively.

“Eventually, that’s the place the aim comes from as a result of they’re offering on a regular basis.”

Keown just isn’t the primary pundit, participant or supervisor to have waxed lyrical about Tierney’s qualities, with the Scot having gained quite a few plaudits in latest months, together with from Tottenham Hotspur head coach Jose Mourinho.

Another former Arsenal participant, nevertheless, who agrees with Keown about the runs Tierney is able to making and moving into the best positions is former left-back Ashley Cole.

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The former England worldwide heaped reward on the attack-minded full-back in July final 12 months because the 2019/20 Premier League season edged in the direction of its conclusion.

“I feel one factor that Arsenal had been most likely missing up to now 12 months was a left-back who was strong, didn’t get crushed in one-versus-one conditions – he doesn’t get beat in one-v-one conditions,” stated Cole, as quoted by TEAMtalk. “But I additionally assume the best way he assaults and the timing of his attacking runs, it brings a special aspect to Arsenal and a special option to assault.

“And he’s acquired a fantastic supply on him, as we simply noticed earlier, a fantastic ball in that ended up with a nook. So he’s been superb for Arsenal I feel.

“He’s been strong. He got here to Arsenal with excessive expectations, watching him at Celtic he was sensible. And then he got here carrying an harm, he didn’t begin the season and now he’s beginning to get again to health and, for me, being a star of this Arsenal defence.

“Whether he performs in a 3 of simply as an out-and-out left-back, I feel he has prime qualities. He can play right into a striker, he can be part of the assaults nicely, he’s acquired high quality of move, he can defend in one-v-one conditions.

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“He looks as if a defender that doesn’t wish to be crushed, he’s not completely satisfied when crosses go in. So I feel for Arsenal he’s a fantastic participant. Not one for the long run, however after all he can enhance, however he’s been sensible thus far for Arsenal.”

For Tierney to have earned such excessive ranges of reward from two of Arsenal’s best defenders of their historical past speaks volumes about the Scot’s abilities. He has continued to go from strength-to-strength this season and definitely has proven all the required credentials to get even higher with age.

This time period, Tierney has racked up 30 appearances for the Gunners, scoring two targets and claiming 4 assists, which in reality, are numbers that don’t do his performances justice.

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