Arsenal: 3 things Kieran Tierney must improve to cement starting role

2. Defensive Awareness

One of the few shortcomings I’ve seen out of the 22-year-old comes in his own 18-yard box, and usually when play stems from the right. He played all of his league games under Unai Emery, and many of the defensive shortcomings that Emery’s Arsenal suffered from fell under the category of defensive sleepiness, or lack of awareness. Tierney is no exception.

There are a number of occasions—our rather unsuccessful October and November spring to mind—where TIerney was beaten at the back post by the opposing winger, most often because he was deployed in a left-wingback role, and was too wide to make a play on the ball. However, even at left-back, he sometimes isn’t totally set up where he needs to be when balls are swung off of the right flank and aimed at the back post, and key chances for the opposition result.

It’s a similar complaint to one of Sead Kolasinac’s primary issues, with the big Bosnian getting caught out on crosses far more than his size might reflect. If Tierney is to put himself above his competitors in the pecking order, he must improve this aspect of his game.

On to number one, and arguably the most important of the lot.