Gary Neville has suggested to Sky Sports that Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney looked tired after just five minutes yesterday.
Arsenal were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City on Sunday, and Pep Guardiola’s side made a blistering start to the game.
City had Arsenal penned back throughout, with Riyad Mahrez giving Tierney a particularly tough start.
And Neville noted: “What a tough start for the game Kieran Tierney has had. He’s a good player for Arsenal, but already he’s been exposed and he’s looking a little weary. They keep hitting it over his head to Mahrez.”
Thankfully for Arsenal, City’s dominance of the contest did ease somewhat as the game progressed.
Arsenal were unable to get back into the match, but they did manage to relieve some of the pressure they were under early doors.
And Neville actually felt that Tierney grew into the game.
“Mahrez was really good at Tierney, it looked like the Arsenal left-back was going to have a real toil. He has recovered from that,” the Sky pundit said during the second half.
Tierney admitted after the game that he was indeed tired, due to the attacking movement of City.
The Scot is only just returning from injury and he was thrown in at the deep end by Arteta yesterday.
Arsenal’s defeat means that they remain in 10th place in the Premier League table, and their hopes of making the top four are now surely all but over.
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