CELTIC Invincibles Kieran Tierney and Stuart Armstrong are on course to lock horns in a crucial English Premier League confrontation this evening.
Arsenal are looking for three points in their dramatic pursuit of the title while Southampton are desperately battling to get clear of the relegation trapdoor.
Left-back Tierney is likely to be part of the London club’s starting line-up while midfielder Armstrong hopes to get the nod to start after coming on as a late substitute in the strugglers’ 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace at the weekend.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Kieran Tierney races after Stuart Armstrong as they celebrate the midfielder’s equaliser against Aberdeen in the memorable 2-1 win in the 2017 Scottish Cup Final.
The stage is set for the duel between the former Hoops colleagues who played side by side as Brendan Rodgers’ all-conquering team swept all before them on their majestic sweep of the domestic treble in season 2016/17.
Tierney was the first to congratulate Armstrong when he snapped up a quickfire equaliser against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final after Jonny Hayes had fired the Dons into the lead.
The playmaker’s low strike beyond Joe Lewis opened the way for the unforgettable crescendo when Tom Rogic waltzed his way through the opponents’ defence to tuck away the stoppage-time winner to seal the glorious unbeaten campaign.
It will be an entirely different situation at The Emirates tonight between pacesetting Arsenal and stumbling Southampton where there is a massive FIFTY-ONE point gap between the teams.
HAMPDEN HEROES-IN-WAITING…the Celtic team that started the 2-1 Scottish Cup Final win over Aberdeen in May 2017. Back row (left to right): Craig Gordon, Leigh Griffiths, Jozo Simunovic, Dedryk Boyata and Scott Sinclair; Front row: Stuart Armstrong, Mikael Lustig, Callum McGregor, Scott Brown, Kieran Tierney and Patrick Roberts.
Tierney, who has struggled for game thime this term, made a rare start in the 2-2 draw with West Ham last weekend with summer recruit Oleksander Zinchenko ruled out with a muscle injury.
The defender, who quit the Hoops in August 2019 in a £25million switch to the Emirates outfit, is likely to be in at the kick-off for this one as Mikel Arteta’s team aim to extend their lead to seven points over champions Manchester City who will have two games in hand.
Armstrong, who left for the south coast club a year earlier than his Parkhead pal in a £7million move, was introduced late to proceedings in his side’s flop at home to a Palace line-up that had Odsonne Edouard in the starting eleven.
Another ex-Celt, Mohamed Elyounoussi, remained on the substitutes’ bench.
The Saints look doomed as they languish in rock-bottom position on 23 points, ironically two adrift of Leicester City who parted company with Rodgers earlier this month.
There will be no old pals’ act on display this evening, that’s for sure.
