'He has opened my eyes to a new way of football': Kieran Tierney reveals how Arteta changed thinking on games

Tierney admits that he was worried about his Arsenal career when Arteta was appointed as he struggled with injuries.

However, the Scotsman says Arteta was speaking to him constantly, which instilled confidence in him.

The 23-year-old adds that Mikel's unconventional tactics fits him perfectly.

"The way the manager trains, how he speaks to you and how the coaches speak to you they give you that confidence.

The style of football we are playing suits me perfectly," Kieran Tierney told BT Sport discussing Mikel Arteta's impact.

"I am enjoying it and he has opened my eyes to a new way of football. He has also opened my eyes to a new way of learning, so he's brilliant to learn from.

Of course I was nervous when he came in because there are always rumours floating about when you are injured.

"But he has given me my chance and I am grateful for that. Even when I was injured he still spoke to me and gave me confidence, so I have a lot to thank him for. The roles I am playing suit me, they are different but they play to my strengths.

"The system we play isn't your standard one, people shift and positions move so it's a new dimension of football. I'm working hard every day, I am putting my all into football and wherever that takes me I have no idea, no clue."

Tierney seems to have overcome his early injury struggles at Arsenal and now looks like a real top player.

The Scotsman has been proving his efficiency playing across different positions. If Arteta slots him as a left-back, you can be sure he'll confine any threat coming from that side to a minimum and will produce quality deliveries at the other end.

If Tierney plays as a part of a 3-man defence, he rarely puts a foot wrong giving extra solidity to our backline.

The Fulham game was no exception. Kieran contributed to a clean sheet with 2 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3 clearances.