Mikel Arteta opted for Jakub Kiwior as Gabriel Maglhaes’ replacement for Arsenal’s trip to Merseyside on Saturday afternoon, and the Pole delivered an encouraging performance.
Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against Everton, with Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike cancelled out by Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty in the second period.
The result sees the Gunners drop eleven points behind league leaders Liverpool, who now have a game in hand.
Gabriel is out for the season after sustaining a hamstring injury against Fulham in midweek, prompting concerns from about how Kiwior will deal with Real Madrid’s elusive forwards on Tuesday.
However, the former Spezia man’s display was perhaps the biggest positive for Arteta to take away from Goodison Park, as he impressed alongside William Saliba.
Arsenal fans praise Jakub Kiwior for Everton performance
Arsenal fans were panicking when the Gabriel news broke on Thursday, with the bulk of the fears deriving from the prospect of Kiwior being deployed against Kylian Mbappe.
While he wasn’t flawless, the versatile defender showed that he’s capable at this level against the Toffees.
Solid defensively, the Poland international played some exceptional passes in the north-west, demonstrating how he can actively contribute to Arsenal’s ball progression.
The Arsenal faithful were encouraged by Kiwior’s showing, taking to social media to express their views on it.
One fan wrote on X: “Fair play to Jakub Kiwior. There have been so many questions/debates about him during the past few days. He’s put in a solid display in a difficult away game and bagged himself the man of the match award.”
Another added: “One of Kiwior’s most underrated qualities is his incredible long passing ability.”
Meanwhile, another supporter praised the player’s passing, writing: “Kiwior’s passing has been tremendous today.”
One fan posited: “That 90 minutes should do Kiwior a lot of good if he does get the start against Madrid. Really solid alongside Saliba.”
Finally, one supporter couldn’t believe the quality of Kiwior’s balls in behind: “Jakub Kiwior has dropped absolute bombs from the back today. His passing range is ridiculous. That left foot is a weapon.”
Jakub Kiwior’s statistics vs Everton
Not only did Kiwior look promising on the eye test, but he put up some impressive numbers on the day.
Evidently tasked by Arteta to progress the ball for the Gunners and express himself in possession, Kiwior was instrumental in a few moves that saw Arsenal breach Everton’s back line.
| Kiwior’s Statistics vs Everton | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Accurate Passes | 58/62 (94%) |
| Chances Created | 1 |
| Touches | 70 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 10 |
| Accurate Long Balls | 4/6 (67%) |
| Clearances | 3 |
Completing 94% of his passes and playing ten passes into the final third, the centre-back successfully took on the responsibility Arteta bestowed on him.
If he can replicate this display against Los Blancos, Arsenal have a chance of beating the European Champions.
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