The 25-year-old has been in and out of Mikel Arteta’s starting eleven this season

Kieran Tierney was hooked after an hour against Oxford

Kieran Tierney’s role at Arsenal has been the topic of much discussion this season.

The 25-year-old is arguably one of the best left-backs in Europe on his day but he’s not been a first team regular under Mikel Arteta this campaign. The Gunners are flying high at the top of the English Premier League with a five point lead over title favourites Manchester City.

Arteta has preferred Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, with right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu even deployed on the opposite side over Tierney. The Celtic hero’s talent is unquestionable but Arteta’s proclivity for inverted full-backs is more suited to Ukrainian international Zinchenko – who regularly plays in midfield for his country.

The debate over Tierney’s predicament at Arsenal resurfaced last night after he was hooked after an hour of Arsenal’s FA Cup clash against Oxford United.

The Scotland international didn’t enjoy his best performance and he was replaced by Zinchenko with the game still goalless. The impact made by the former Man City ace was noticeable as the Gunners improved to record a comfortable 3-0 win over the League One side.

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell reckoned that Tierney failed to capitalise on his chance to impress.

He said: “This is no disrespect to Kieran Tierney and no disrespect to Lokonga, because they are trying, if you get an opportunity against Oxford, then you have to take it.”

Gunners supporters also took to social media as they compared Tierney’s influence in contrast to Zinchenko.

One tweeted: “Whether it’s injury-related or that he’s just reached his ceiling as a player I think this Arsenal squad is outgrowing Kieran Tierney technically… The difference between he and Zinchenko is frightening…”

Another added: “Tierney I love you, but Zinchenko is on a different level technically.”

One Arsenal fan commented: “Problem for Tierney is Arteta has now developed a pattern of play that is reliant on inverted full backs. When Tierney comes in they don’t seem to adapt the style so always looks off.”

But Tierney also received support from fans of the North London fans as they pointed to his superior defensive acumen.

A fan defended KT, saying: “But Zinchenko can’t defend like Tierney…. We need them both.”

Another agreed: “I have a lot of respect for KT and he’s probably better defensively, but Zinchenko is one of the best technical players in the league.”

On Zinchenko, one added: “I wish he could defend like KT though.”

source: https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/