Zinchenko Has Played His Part, But It Is Now Time For Tierney To Finish The Job
With Oleksander Zinchenko absent against West Ham, Kieran Tierney got a rare start in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday afternoon.
There’s now a suggestion that if Mikel Arteta wants a more steady defence in his final games, he should play Kieran Tierney more than Oleksander Zinchenko. Why is that, you might ask?
According to former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Tierney is a better defensive left-back than Zinchenko. A left-back’s primary responsibility is to balance a team’s defensive aspect of the game from the left; attacking is simply a supplementary function that he performs.
Tierney, according to Lennon, is a better defender than Zinchenko. Yes, Zinchenko provides more attacking options for Arsenal, but he believes that utilising Tierney at left back in the future could help Arsenal’s title bid. “I’m delighted Tierney is back in the team; he’s a great player. He’s had his injury problems over the years, but when he’s fit and strong, he’s magnificent, said Lennon on the BBC.
“I think he will play more in the run-in because he’s a better defender than Zinchenko. Defensively, he will give Arsenal far more security.
“Zinchenko is very good going forward, manipulating the ball in tight areas when he goes into that inverted full-back position, whereas Kieran wouldn’t have as soft feet as Zinchenko.
“But he’s a better defender. I definitely think he will play at the Etihad against Manchester City as well.”
Bottling a two-goal lead in two consecutive games can only mean one thing: Arsenal’s defence isn’t as good as it should be. The attack is doing its job as it should, but the defence is not.
As excellent as Arsenal is in attack, they also need to be as strong in defence, so I totally understand Lennon’s argument, and if I were the Arsenal boss, which I clearly am not, I’d take his advice. I’d give Tierney a chance, but would you?
Sam P
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