Arsenal: Kieran Tierney the perfect Mikel Arteta left-back

Kieran Tierney has returned to Arsenal training ahead of his March return following a dislocated shoulder. He is the ideal player to fulfil Mikel Arteta’s unique left-back role.

One of the defining features of Mikel Arteta’s tactical approach at Arsenal thus far has been his use of the two full-back positions. Whether it be Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right or Bukayo Sake and Sead Kolasinac on the left, the two roles have been very different from orthodox full-back positions.

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On the right, Arteta has asked the full-back to tuck inside when his team are in possession, positioned in a three-man line alongside the two holding midfielders in front of the two centre-backs. Meanwhile, the left-back is pushed very high and wide, thus forming a front five with the two wingers, centre-forward and central attacking midfielder. All in all, this forms a 2-3-5 shape.

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Both Saka and Kolasinac have flourished in this adopted left-back role. The two are offensive-minded defenders who drive forward brilliantly. Saka scored and assisted in an FA Cup win over Bournemouth, while Kolasinac was a brutish bulldozer against Manchester United, surging to the byline time and again as he linked with up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who drifted inside as a result of his advanced positioning. But while these two players have performed well in this role, neither are natural left-backs, per se, and both will sit behind Kieran Tierney once the Scotsman returns from injury.

Tierney is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a dislocated shoulder which he suffered in a December win over West Ham United. Arsenal fitness director Shad Forsythe has said that the new signing is working intensely hard in rehab and will be ‘very, very fit and very in shape from a running perspective’ when he returns to the team in mid-March. That is a very positive sign indeed.

But more than just fitness and hard work, Tierney has displayed a skill set that makes him ideal for this adopted left-back role that Arteta has implemented. In the brief appearances that he has made for Arsenal, his offensive threat is quite clear. Most noticeably, he is a terrific crosser.

Tierney is not the fastest, his dribbling is capable without being explosive, but he only needs half-a-yard of space to whip ferocious balls into the penalty area. He has a wonderful ability to take one touch and curl a cross around the first defender and deliver it into dangerous areas of the penalty area with speed and accuracy, simply then asking the strikers to attack the ball.

Tierney is also very calm and composed in possession. He has enough speed to get away from defenders and is intelligent to find and exploit space. His one-twos get him to the byline and at every opportunity, he is looking to create chances off his left foot.

These are the types of situations that Arteta’s unique left-back role demands the player to excel in. And Tierney has the ideal set of qualities to flourish in that role. Once he returns and is fit and firing, he and Arteta’s marriage could be a special one.