'Massive' Arsenal deserves Champions League return, says Tierney

Arsenal is too big a club to be playing Europa League football, according to defender Kieran Tierney.

Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney: "The club is a massive club and deserves to be in the Champions League."

Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney has vowed to do everything he can to ensure Champions League football returns to the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have not competed in UEFA's showpiece competition since 2016-17 after finishing outside the Premier League's top four in three successive campaigns.

Arsenal reached the Europa League final last season and has made a positive start to its latest campaign this time around, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 and Standard Liege 4-0 in its first two Group F outings.

Tierney played a full part in Thursday's comfortable win over Standard, but the Scotland international insisted his side is more worthy of a place among Europe's elite.

Great night! Thanks again for all your support pic.twitter.com/fdnT1fy7eG

— Kieran Tierney (@kierantierney1) October 3, 2019

 

"The club is a massive club and deserves to be in the Champions League," he told reporters. "We know the ambitions of the club and the supporters and we're all in it together and hopefully we can do that. We've got the potential, we've got the ability."

Tierney has started two of Arsenal's last three matches since recovering from a hip injury and is in contention to make his Premier League debut against Bournemouth on Sunday. "I'm just doing my best every day," said Tierney, who arrived from Celtic in a reported GBP 25 million deal during the close season.

"I work hard, the manager trusts me and I'm giving 100 per cent."