"He’s becoming a bit of a school captain" – Paul Merson has a problem with Arsenal star 'trying to do everything'

Former Arsenal player Paul Merson believes left-back Kieran Tierney is trying a lot more than he was told to do, which results in him being caught in possession by the opposition.

Speaking to 90mins (via Football London), Merson compared Tierney to a school captain who wants to do everything on his own. The former Arsenal player advised the 24-year-old to stick to stopping the crosses coming from the left and get back into his defensive position.

“I like Tierney," Merson said. "The problem is that he is becoming a bit of a school captain. He is trying to do everything.

“Instead of doing his job, like stopping crosses, he’s trying to do everything, so he is caught in between," he added. "Stop the cross or get back into a position."

Despite his minor complaints, Merson still believes Tierney is a much better left-back than Sergio Reguilon. Merson said that the Scottish full-back is one of Arsenal's most important players this season.

“I like Reguilon," he said. "But I have got to go for Tierney. He is one of the main players for Arsenal, and if he can’t get in the team then I am struggling."

Kieran Tierney arrived at Arsenal from Scottish giants Celtic in the summer of 2019. Since then, the full-back has become a fan favorite with many Gunners supporters wanting him to take over from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Arsenal captain.

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Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby

Arsenal will face off against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby this weekend. It will be one of the most important games for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

After a miserable start to the Premier League campaign which saw the Gunners lose all three of their opening games, Arsenal have bounced back. They picked up some form by winning their next two league games against Norwich City and Burnley.

Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, have had contrasting fortunes. Spurs won their first three league matches before losing two games in a row by a margin of 3-0 against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

As things stand, Arsenal are in 13th position with six points and have a chance of drawing level with Spurs if they manage to secure a win on Sunday.

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