Arsenal fans have waited a long time to see their £25m summer signing Kieran Tierney in action in the Premier League, and they finally got their wish on Sunday as Unai Emery named the ex-Celtic left-back in his starting 11 to take on Crystal Palace .
Tierney was frustratingly forced to watch from the sidelines for the start of the season while he recovered from a hernia operation, but he made his competitive debut for the club in last month’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
He also played the full 90 minutes in the Europa League victories over Standard Liege and Vitoria, creating an assist in each game, and having regained full fitness Gunners supporters were desperate for Emery to finally introduce him to Premier League football.
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There are heavy expectations on the Scottish international’s shoulders, with Tierney having wowed Celtic supporters with his performances in the last few seasons in Glasgow, leading to him winning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award for three successive years.
His name received an almighty cheer at the Emirates Stadium when it was read out prior to the match, and he got a few good nerve-settling early touches of the ball which were met with warm applause.
After Arsenal went 2-0 up inside eight minutes it looked as though it would be a dream Premier League debut for Tierney, and he almost added yet another assist to his name when he crossed for Alexandre Lacazette, but Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey saved well from the Frenchman’s shot.
Unfortunately for Tierney his opposite full-back didn’t have such a good game, and Callum Chambers was at fault for Palace’s first goal when he conceded a penalty for tripping Wilfried Zaha in the first half.
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It was also down that same flank that Palace scored their equaliser, meaning the blame could not be laid at the feet of Tierney for either goal.
He was substituted after 75 minutes to be replaced by Sead Kolasinac, and unsurprisingly got a much better reception than that of his teammate Granit Xhaka when he was hauled off .
Overall it was a solid, if unspectacular Premier League debut, and there is no doubt more to come.
He will likely cement his place as first-choice left-back above Kolasinac, and it would be no surprise to see Tierney offering more going forward when he has fully adjusted to the pace of Premier League football.
When he reflects on Sunday’s performance it will probably be with a feeling of satisfaction, although it will no doubt be tinged with disappointment that he couldn’t help his side hold onto the 2-0 lead. Overall it was a 6/10 performance- decent, but with even better expected in the future.
