Arsenal are in crisis mode after suffering a heart-breaking penalty shootout loss at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners crashed out of England’s oldest competition after failing to defeat the Red Devils, who played for 60 minutes with ten men.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s men sit six points adrift of league leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, and are 2-0 down at the halfway point of their EFL Cup semi-final tie against Newcastle.
To add to the list of problems, Bukayo Saka is out for several months, Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious injury against United, and the likes of Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are also sidelined with fitness issues.
Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates on Wednesday night, and given the depleted nature of Arteta’s squad, he ought to consider experimenting with an unusual ploy against Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Mikel Arteta should use Kieran Tierney on the left-wing against Tottenham
Arsenal have struggled to score goals in recent matches, with the attack failing to click as a unit.
Gabriel Martinelli has received criticism for his form, while the likes of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz are also faltering.
Raheem Sterling divided opinion with his display against United, and thus there are no obvious solutions to the Gunners’ attacking profligacy.
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However, there is one unconventional option that Arteta should surely be contemplating trying in Wednesday’s North London Derby.
Kieran Tierney replaced Jorginho late on against Ruben Amorim’s outfit, and the Scotsman looked sharp in his short cameo.
The defender is adept at getting to the by-line and whipping in dangerous crosses and cut-backs, and in the absence of other options, Arteta should look to utilise these attributes and deploy Tierney as a left-winger.
Defensively, the former Celtic man will have the nous and awareness to support whoever is selected at left-back, while going forward his quality has been on show at the Emirates in the past.
Mauricio Pochettino used Ben Chilwell as a high-and-wide left-winger at points for Chelsea last season, and Arteta should replicate this tactic with Tierney, who possesses a similar skillset to the Englishman.
With the 27-year-old marauding down Arsenal’s left and exploiting the space vacated by the aggressive Pedro Porro, the Gunners could dismantle a fragile Spurs defence.
Tierney’s offensive statistics suggest he’s suited to a forward role
Back in Tierney’s prime days at Arsenal, he was often used as one of the most advanced outlets under Arteta.
The Scotland international delivered impressive output in this role as well, registering 11 assists between 2019 and 2021 for the North Londoners.
Completing over a key pass a game, and 0.59 crosses into the penalty area per game, it’s evident that given more freedom to remain in forward areas, Tierney could thrive.
It’s certainly far from an ideal arrangement, but Arsenal have to try something new against their bitter rivals.