Kieran Tierney facing ‘impossible task’ at Premier League title-chasing Arsenal, according to former Gunners star

FORMER Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre believes Kieran Tierney faces an "impossible" task as he tries to win back his spot in Mikel Arteta's starting line-up.

Tierney, 25, fell down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium when Oleksandr Zinchenko joined the Gunners in a £32million transfer from Manchester City last summer.

And Silvestre is convinced that he will struggle to earn his spot back.

When asked why Tierney has been unable to break into Arsenal's starting line-up this season, the 45-year-old told : "Zinchenko is quite a special player. That’s what it is.

";You have to compete with someone else who’s won the Premier League already with City and he’s doing well.

"That’s what it is, it’s just tough because of that. So, you have to be patient.

"It doesn’t mean you just let go and wait. You have to prove in training every time that you deserve to play.

"But yes, it is difficult to get Zinchenko out of the team. It is pretty much impossible."

Tierney joined Arsenal in a £25million transfer from Celtic in 2019.

At the end of his first season in north London he helped the Gunners to a record-breaking 14th FA Cup.

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He then went on to win the Community Shield just a few months later.

Tierney has made 26 Arsenal appearances so far this season.

He stepped in to replace Zinchenko when the Ukrainian suffered a recurring injury at the start of the season.

And he was one of the first names on the team sheet in each of the club's Europa League group games.