Arsenal legend Martin Keown has hailed Kieran Tierney as 'the type of personality Arsenal need' after the full-back clashed with Leeds star Ezgjan Alioski at full-time on Sunday night.
Winger Pepe was red carded for head-butting the Macedonian but the winger has been criticised for making a meal of the incident.
And Tierney had to be pulled back and dragged away by teammates as he approached him at full-time to issue some home truths.
And Keown, a player who never shied away from a spat in his heyday, was delighted to see the former Celtic man showing a no-nonsense attitude when teammate Granit Xhaka put his arm around Alioski at the end of the match.
He told the Daily Mail : "I was impressed with some of the fighting spirit on show.
"The way Kieran Tierney was trying to have a word with Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski at full-time — the player he saw as the protagonist in Pepe’s sending off — showed impressive fighting spirit.
"Tierney typified that spirit in the game itself, too. He’s not just at the back trying to keep a clean sheet.
"He bombs forward and puts in those extra yards for his team.
"Tierney might have felt incensed to see Granit Xhaka with his arm around Alioski at the end of the game after what had happened.
"I would have certainly felt like that if I’d seen one of my team-mates practically fraternising with the enemy.
"Xhaka then pushed Tierney away from the situation when he tried to confront Alioski.
"But the dust will settle from that incident. Tierney is just the type of personality Arsenal need in their team."
