“I thought it was his best game all season so if he’s fit, he plays” – Kevin Campbell insists 25-year-old Arsenal star must start in north London derby against Tottenham
Former Arsenal forward Kevin Campbell has backed Kieran Tierney to start the Gunners' derby fixture against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Mikel Arteta's side will take on Spurs at the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday (October 1). The hosts are currently top of the league standings with 18 points from seven matches, while Tottenham are one point behind their arch-rivals in third place.
Given the stature of the fixture, both teams will be expected to go in with their strongest starting XI. Oleksandr Zinchenko began Arsenal's season as the first-choice left-back but Tierney took over the position after the Ukrainian picked up an injury.
According to Campbell, the 25-year-old Scot will start the match against Tottenham if he's fit. The former Gunners striker told "The Highbury Squad" (as quoted by The Boot Room):
“Kieran Tierney’s going to start, if he’s fit. Let’s be honest, Zinchenko hasn’t played for a while. Kieran Tierney went off, but it was more precaution, so hopefully he’s going to be alright.”
Campbell praised Tierney for his display in his club's last match before the international break, a 3-0 league win away to Brentford:
“I thought Kieran Tierney against Brentford was outstanding. I really thought he was outstanding. And I think he was starting to get a grip in his own way of playing in that midfield at times.”
He added:
“We didn’t look out of shape, we looked dominant with Kieran Tierney in the team. I thought it was his best game all season so if he’s fit, he plays. Zinchenko will probably be on the bench.”
'He was outstanding': Kevin Campbell doesn't expect 25-year-old to start NLD after Arsenal teammate's display dlvr.it/SZ3YyZ
Tierney put in an all-round display in the match against the Bees. The left-back recorded five clearances, an interception and a tackle to help Arsenal protect their clean sheet. He also laid out a key pass and completed 86% of his passes.
Arsenal's Kieran Tierney picked up an injury while playing for Scotland
Following his performance against Brentford, Tierney linked up with the Scottish national team for the ongoing international break.
Steve Clarke's side thrashed Ukraine 3-0 in their first UEFA Nations League game of the break. Tierney started the game and played 86 minutes, helping his team keep a cleansheet.
The Arsenal left-back was named in the playing XI once again for Scotland's match against rivals Northern Ireland. He looked good for most of the opening half but took a knock to the head after clashing with Matt Doherty and Troy Parrott.
Tierney was substituted in the 42nd minute with his team down by a goal, but a spirited second-half display saw them win the match 2-1.
FULL TIME: Scotland 2-1 Republic of Ireland.
A header from Jack Hendry early in the second half and a penalty from Ryan Christie late on earn a comeback victory at Hampden Park.
Next-up: Ukraine on Tuesday 💪
#SCOIRL https://t.co/J9rW9tdBSF
The defender's premature departure would've certainly worried Arsenal fans. However, Clarke confirmed that the substitution was a precautionary measure (as quoted by The Sun).
It remains to be seen if Tierney will play in Scotland's final match of the break against Ukraine on Tuesday (September 27).