Kieran Tierney has insisted to Mikel Arteta that he is ready to start Arsenal ’s key match against Chelsea this weekend after scoring the winner against Zurich.
Tierney produced a lovely finish from the edge of the penalty area to put the Gunners 1-0 up early in the first half and the strike turned out to be crucial on an edgy night at the Emirates Stadium. Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira could not take their chances to leave the match open to a nervy finish.
Arsenal withstood the pressure from Zurich to win 1-0, secure top spot in Group A and qualify automatically for the last-16 of the Europa League. They will now turn their attention to Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in a huge Premier League game.
Tierney has started just three league matches all season, with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu often preferred by Mikel Arteta. But after his man of the match performance against Zurich, the Scotland international is desperate to nail down a starting place.
“I want to play every single chance I can get,” he told BT Sport. “But I’m going to keep working hard. The manager knows I’ll give 100 per cent every single day, whether I’m starting or not – I’ll support the team from the bench. If I need to come on, or if I start, I’ll give everything.”
While opportunities in the league have been limited, Tierney has started all six of Arsenal’s Europa League games. Arteta was delighted with his impact and praised the 25-year-old for his attitude while he’s been on the bench over the past few months.
“I think he was really good,” Arteta said post-match. “Kieran is showing a lot of maturity. He has respected a lot of decisions that we have taken. He’s played a lot of minutes as well.
“He’s done really well. Today he scored a great goal that has helped us win the game – and that’s what we demand of the players, that they’re ready when the team needs them to make a difference.”
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Tierney’s patience may well be about to pay off, with Tomiyasu forced off the pitch with an injury in the closing stages against Zurich. With Zinchenko only fit enough to return to the matchday squad on Thursday, Tierney looks likely to start against Chelsea as Arsenal look to hold onto top spot in the Premier League.
“We don’t know. He had some muscular issue and he had to come off,” Arteta said of Tomiyasu. “We didn’t want to take any risks. We’ll assess him in the next 48 hours and understand what’s happening.”
He added: “Everybody has to be ready because we don’t have the biggest squad. And everybody is important, when you see the amount of minutes that they play – it’s a lot. They have been important in the Premier League and the Europa League and they’ll continue to be so. We need everyone in both, because in any moment you are needed and you have to contribute to the team.”
