Kieran Tierney admits Arsenal had a tough afternoon against table-topping Manchester City as Raheem Sterling’s early header secured a 1-0 win.
After the game, the Scot, making his first Premier League start in over a month, admitted he was knackered.
Here’s what he had to say when he faced the Sky Sports cameras…
On the performance…
It was very tough. We didn’t start well and in the end, that’s what killed us really. Against a team like City, you can’t afford to not start well in the first five to 10 minutes, they’re going to punish you and they did.
On whether Arsenal made a slow start or City made a quick one…
It’s a bit of both. It’s hard, nobody goes out there planning to not start well, it’s hard to say exactly what it was. It’s just something that can happen against a top team and they punished us today.
On whether he was worried about a drubbing…
You try not to think like that. You need to try to think positive because you know when you come up against a side like City if you go one-nil down it’s not the end of the world. They are playing brilliantly now and we always believed we could get back in it. We had chances and in some parts of the game we done really well and were unlucky not to get a goal today.
On lots of attacks coming down his flank…
It’s hard to say. Against a team like that every part of the pitch is important, they’ve got good players all over, as do we. Unfortunately today, they’ve come out on top.
On whether he came through unscathed…
I’m just knackered. It was a tough game. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the full game but I did. It’s 90 minutes under the belt and I’m happy with that and I’m happy the manager gave me a chance again.
Just needs a run of games.
Some Martinelli might do him good also.
Happy to have him.
We used to play bravely against City in Wenger’s later years despite losing. Seeing how Emery and Arteta lined up his players against City is tough to take though. We have 10 men behind ball while losing 1-0 in the 75th minute. I wonder how the gameplay might’ve changed today if we didn’t concede in the first 2 minutes.
What are you smoking? We would get hammered under Wenger because we never had any defensive control. You have an extremely short memory or a loose screw. I’d rather take a 1-0 loss to the best team in Europe and fight another day then get hammered 6-1 and have our confidence destroyed.
Arteta is here. Wenger and Emery are not. Stop complaining about hypotheticals that aren’t relevant
I didn’t say I prefer Wenger’s later years. What I did say is that recently it’s been tough to watch, especially how we seemed content to lose by small margins, with not even any hail marys thrown in the last minute. I’m allowed to smoke what I want to innit? I’m still backing Arteta, but hell I can complain about what I’m seeing.
We had 88 minutes to score an equalizer, and never got close. We simply had to much respect. Never tried a dribble in midfield, never left our defensive duties.
It just seems like Arteta is the type of manager to make sure every detail is covered. And its all the more evident against City, a team weve always met with fear under Arteta.
We should be about as physically strong as City, yet we got bullied by their players in every single duel. Even Sterling was pushing our players aside.
You’re right. Sterling pushing our players is 100% Artera’s fault and he should be fired for it.
The insight here is real. 😂
Didn’t meet them with fear in last years FA Cup. This season right now isn’t about competing with City, it’s about building the confidence and winning what we can which is the Europa
What’s so odd to me, is that this is exactly what i expected from this game. Super defensive and boring with the possibility of springing a counter attack thru the pace of Abu. It didn’t come off because I just dont think some (and I do only mean some) of the players are up to it, technically or mentally, and because they are bloody tired. Don’t get why so much hate on the tactics or performance of a mid table team againat the absolute best in EU right now.
Some of our fans are deluded and think we’re the peak Invincible team that’s why.
People complained when we had a manager that had no tactics (Wenger) although of course that wasn’t true…a lot of teams have been better than us for a long time it’s just we used to be able to get something out of a game because we are The Arsenal…now nobody fears us.
So in your wildest dreams you think this team will win the Europa cup? With Arteta as coach? You should go into comedy clearly you got talent.
It did feel as if we were very timid. I guess a midfield 2 of Elneny and Xhaka will always have you passing backwards.
Auba is such a limited player, his ball skills are really poor, can’t control the ball, can’t make a pass. When he’s off form and not scoring goals he doesn’t contribute anything.
After nearly 3 seasons you’ve only just noticed this?
No, it’s just being highlighted because he’s never been so consistently feeble.
Bless Kieran Tierney…Edu needs to bring more players with his mentality and talent into the club…I mean that’s stating the obvious…but still I wanted to say it.
Tierney failed to give good passes
A welcome sight with Mari. He brought his usual 110% but if I were critical of him, he got taken out on the left a number of times still (Giving the benefit of the doubt since he was just return to fold). OTOH going forward, (and this applies to both fullbacks), he needs to slow down and consider before whipping balls in. He is rushing it too much. Too many times, these ‘fantastic deliveries’ the media prefer to harp on about go back to opponents or ghosts. In fact there are a number of players who are still rushing it.… Read more »