Arsenal summer signing Kieran Tierney has been praised by supporters for how he reacted to their exit at the hands of Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
The game ended 5-5 in normal time at Anfield and in the penalty shoot-out Caoimhin Kelleher saved Dani Ceballos’ spot-kick, allowing 18-year-old Curtis Jones to win it and send the Premier League leaders into the quarter-final.
As Jones’ effort went in off the post, dejected Arsenal players, who had stood watching from the halfway line, were keen to make a hasty exit, with Ceballos and Matteo Guendouzi leading the way towards the tunnel.
A video has since emerged of Tierney, who came on in the 83rd minute, gesturing towards the players to make sure they went over and thanked the supporters who had made the long trip down to Merseyside.
Tierney, who joined Arsenal for £25million from Celtic in the summer, knows what it’s like to be a fan and would often be seen among the Celtic Park faithful when not playing.
When he did play, he was usually leading the ‘Green Brigade’ – the club’s noisy supporters – in their songs.
He has had an injury hit start to his Gunners career, but did impress in the recent 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
Relations between players and supporters at Arsenal are strained, with captain Granit Xhaka jeered off by home fans during the Palace game and he responded by cupping his ears and swearing at supporters as he walked off.
However, the actions of Tierney could go some way to easing the tension and maybe Gooners are witnessing a captain-in-waiting.
