Arsenal: How Kieran Tierney return could turn team upside-down

Kieran Tierney is now in full training and is ready for first-team action once more. Under Mikel Arteta’s guidance, his return could turn the Arsenal upside-down. Here’s how.

Ever since he arrived as Arsenal’s new head coach, Mikel Arteta has had his hands tied by the players that have been available to him. At no position has this been more relevant than full-back, especially on the left side.

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But this week, Kieran Tierney returned to full training following a dislocated shoulder. In his pre-match press conference, Arteta confirmed that he would be joining the squad soon:

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"“I don’t know when he will be ready to play but he’s done two or three complete sessions now. He’s feeling more and more confident now with contact around him and hopefully he will join the squad soon.”"

When Tierney is fit and firing, his introduction to Arteta’s system could entirely change the way it is currently executed. While there will be no change in shape per se, the roles that comprise Arteta’s system at present could be turned upside-down, including changes in personnel and responsibilities at several different positions.

In Tierney’s absence, Bukayo Saka has filled the starting left-back role. Saka is a winger by trade and has been allowed to play the position in a very attacking manner. He is as much a left midfielder as he is a left-back. Arteta adapted the left-back position to Saka, who is not a natural left-back. But Tierney possesses the defensive qualities that Saka does not. Thus, the left-back position might revert to a more orthodox feel. And this has major ramifications throughout the team.

Firstly, Granit Xhaka might see his role change in midfield. With Saka at left-back, the left-footed Xhaka often slid over to form a back three alongside the two centre-backs, providing the defensive cover for Saka to push extremely high up the pitch. With Tierney playing the left-back position in a more traditional way, starting from deeper before pushing forwards, there is less need for Xhaka to slide out wide. He will thus play a more traditional central midfield role — this, incidentally, may not suit him in the same way due to the added speed and pressing that comes in central areas and may see a personnel switch with Matteo Guendouzi introduced.

Meanwhile, on the opposite flank, to accommodate for an extremely offensive-minded left-back, Arteta has employed a more defensive right-back, providing balance and structure to the team, not exposing themselves against the counter-attack. This has limited the efficacy of Hector Bellerin, who is much more comfortable racing forward on overlapping runs. Under Arteta, he has tucked into a central position to help aid possession play and build from the back, but it is not his most comfortable role. With Tierney in the team, Arteta could rotate between which full-back presses forward, thereby releasing Bellerin in attack a little more.

Finally, Saka’s advanced starting positions in possession form a front five alongside the front three and central attacking midfielder. This saw the left-winger drift into the half-space between the centre-forward and Saka. If Tierney is stationed a little deeper, we might see a more orthodox wide role for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who makes runs in behind from a wider starting position and only drifts centrally once Tierney is in full support.

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For now, these tactical predictions are just speculation. It is equally plausible that Arteta simply swaps Saka for Tierney when he feels it is applicable and continues with exactly the same system. But if and when Tierney is ready to start, the Arsenal team might look entirely different, and it might just be for the better.

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