Arsenal legend Martin Keown has praised the character shown by Kieran Tierney during the scuffle that went on during the Gunners’ 0-0 draw with Leeds in the Premier League at the weekend.
It was a hugely frustrating result for Arsenal as they were held at Elland Road, with Nicolas Pepe also receiving a red card that made their job that bit harder.
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Keown, however, saw some positives in the passion showed by Tierney, with the former defender well known for getting into a few shouting matches himself during his playing days.
Discussing Tierney’s reaction to Pepe’s sending off and the aftermath of it all, Keown was generally full of praise for the Scotland international.
“I was impressed with some of the fighting spirit on show,” he wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“The way Kieran Tierney was trying to have a word with Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski at full-time — the player he saw as the protagonist in Pepe’s sending off — showed impressive fighting spirit.
“Tierney typified that spirit in the game itself, too. He’s not just at the back trying to keep a clean sheet. He bombs forward and puts in those extra yards for his team.
“Tierney might have felt incensed to see Granit Xhaka with his arm around Alioski at the end of the game after what had happened.
“I would have certainly felt like that if I’d seen one of my team-mates practically fraternising with the enemy.
“Xhaka then pushed Tierney away from the situation when he tried to confront Alioski.
“But the dust will settle from that incident. Tierney is just the type of personality Arsenal need in their team.”
Tierney is certainly becoming a fan-favourite at Arsenal and a legend like Keown will know a thing or two about the kind of personality needed to be a success with the Gunners.