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The genius Kieran Tierney is good advice for becoming Arsenal captain.
The Scotsman, who opened the floodgates against overtaken West Brom, excelled in the winter conditions that prompted teammate Alexandre Lacazette to search for gloves and leggings.
In the West Midlands snow, the 23-year-old opted for the short-sleeved style and spent 90 minutes scorching Arsenal’s left flank.
Tierney earned the admiration of his teammate Rob Holding, who adapted a quote from a beloved movie to describe his Scottish colleague.
“You think coldness is your ally. But he just embraced the cold. I was born into him, shaped by him: Kieran Tierney 2021, ”wrote Holding, clearly a fan of The Dark Knight Rises, on Instagram.
And Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that even in the sub-zero conditions in training, Tierney gives a snook to the footballer’s must-have accessory, the hairnet.
(Image: Michael Regan / POOL / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
“He must have something special in his blood because we all wore hairnets, gloves and hats in training sessions and he only wears shorts and a T-shirt,” said the Spaniard.
“It’s not like he’s acting or anything. Trust me, he’s very comfortable like this. “
One criticism of Arsenal this season is that they lack leaders on the field, but Arteta insists Tierney is exactly that. And he’s backing the 23-year-old to one day wear the Gunners bracelet.
“Since I joined the club, I have seen a player with enormous talent and with the perfect attitude and commitment,” said Arteta.
“I think he can be the captain of Arsenal because he has the respect and admiration of all the staff members and all the players.
“This is how it is. It does it naturally. He is also a very shy boy but he represents all the values that we want to instill.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“He can still improve, but he is a real threat in attack and very solid in defense. You see how he behaves in the field and when he speaks he says the right thing.
“He is exactly what we are looking for and I am very happy to have him on the team.”
Arteta was also delighted with the two-goal striker Lacazette’s performance on the Arsenal minutes for the fourth straight game.
Lacazette’s form arguably merits a new contract, but Arteta seems in no rush to deliver the new 29-year terms.
Perhaps he is cautious given Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s meager loot of just three goals since signing a new £ 250,000-a-week contract in September.
Aubameyang scored 29 goals last season, but they have dried up since he signed his mega-deal and Lacazette is now the leading man in attack.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have been deprived of title glory for a while, but things could be turning around as a new Arsenal team chart a course for success.
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New signings Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey have kicked off after their big money summer arrivals, and the new Gunners are going for the top four and Europa League glory this year.
Mesut Ozil’s situation continues to hang in the background and there are plenty to do in North London to keep up with.
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Arsenal also suffered severe burns to their fingers handing over a £ 350,000-a-week deal to Mesut Ozil, now an Emirates outcast.
“We have not talked about anything related to his contract,” said the Arsenal manager. “I am delighted with the way he has performed because he has the form and the energy at the moment so he needs to keep doing it.
“We will speak in the summer and then we will make a decision.”
Lacazette was the focal point of Arsenal’s attack on the Hawthorns, but there were plenty of other impressive performers against the struggling Baggies.
Tierney left Darnell Furlong behind before folding a magnificent right-footed shot into the far corner. Bukayo Saka then made it 2-0 by completing a nice one-touch pass move that involved Lacazette and Emile Smith Rowe.
And, after the break, Lacazette completed the Tierney-inspired win with two short-range finishes.
Scot Tierney was evidently quite at home in the freezing conditions in shirtsleeves, opening the scoring before putting Lacazette’s second on a plate.
Arteta, who was in charge for one year, added: “He must have something special in his blood because we all wore hairnets, gloves and hats in training sessions and he only wears his shorts and shirt.
“It’s not like he’s acting or something. Trust me, he’s very comfortable like this.
“From the moment I joined the club, I have seen an extremely talented player with the perfect attitude and commitment.
“I think he can be the captain of Arsenal because he has the respect and admiration of all the staff members and all the players. This is how it is. It does it naturally.
“He is also a very shy boy but he represents all the values we want to instill and they are in the DNA of this club.
“He can still improve, but he is a real threat in attack and very solid in defense. You see how he behaves in the field and when he speaks he says the right thing.
“He is exactly what we are looking for and I am very happy to have him on the team.”
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