Jakub Kiwior started his first game of the season for Arsenal against Bolton in the EFL Cup.
The Gunners were always the favourites to win the game and they did not disappoint. Mikel Arteta’s men smashed five past the League One side to pick up a comfortable win.
Record breaker Ethan Nwaneri was the star of the show with his two goals, while Declan Rice, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz also found the net.
Many who didn’t score also had a very good game – Kiwior, in particular, seems to have impressed many Arsenal supporters.
The Pole started in William Saliba’s position on the right side of central defence and he looked incredibly solid. He was good on the ball, solid in duels and barely put a foot wrong.
Kiwior then moved to left-back after Myles Lewis-Skelly was withdrawn, and the former Spezia man impressed there too. But, many people think his best position is at centre-back.
Arsenal fans make one observation about Jakub Kiwior against Bolton
Kiwior was widely expected by everyone to be sold by Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
Many viewed the Pole as surplus to requirements after Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival, but Arteta decided to keep Kiwior at the club despite interest from abroad.
The defender’s versatility is perhaps the biggest reason why, and his display in Saliba’s position on Wednesday night has impressed Arsenal fans – much more than his previous performances as a left-back.
One Arsenal fan tweeted: “Kiwior is a baller at CB, he is just not a LB.”
Another wrote: “Always said that Kiwior is a top CB alternative.”
“Kiwior looks so much more comfortable at CB than at left-back,” wrote another fan.
Another supporter tweeted: “Kiwior is a very good CB. Sadly, he will never get a proper chance in that position because of Saliba/Gabriel. Quality depth option though.”
“Huge credit to Jakub Kiwior. Played excellent today. Sharp passing and defensive awareness despite minimal involvement this season. Professional,” wrote another.
Jakub Kiwior’s stats vs Bolton will blow you away
Kiwior gets a lot of criticism because he’s not on the level of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, but that’s not his fault.
The Pole is a phenomenal defender in his own right, and the only reason he hasn’t always looked comfortable is because he has often been asked to play as a left-back.
Against Bolton, Kiwior started in the heart of the defence, and he had a solid game. He had 105 touches of the ball and completed 84 of his 91 attempted passes, maintaining an excellent 94 per cent passing accuracy. Kiwior also completed three of his four attempted long passes.
The former Spezia man also won six of the nine duels he contested, made two tackles, two clearances and two blocks in what was a very impressive display (Sofascore).
We don’t expect Kiwior to play a lot of football this season, but his performance against Bolton showed that he is ready to step up and deliver when called upon.
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