Mikel Arteta warned Arsenal ace with ‘enormous potential’ is ‘too easy’ to play against

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Former Poland international Jacek Bak has warned Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta about Jakub Kiwior’s weaknesses at left-back.

The 24-year-old defender has featured heavily for the Gunners in recent weeks with Kiwior filling in for Oleksandr Zinchenko in the left-back position, to surprising results.

Kiwior has commanded the role well and has been influential in Arsenal’s eight-game winning streak in the Premier League, with the defender claiming three assists and a goal during this period.

Mikel Arteta sent Jakub Kiwior warning despite recent form

Yet speaking to Super Express, former Polish international Bak has warned Arteta that Kiwior still doesn’t have the quality required to really flourish in the Premier League, with the former Spezia man getting caught out on some occasions.

Indeed, Kiwior has grown plenty in recent games in this new-looks Arsenal system, but Arteta has now been pressured to make a potential change if the Polish star’s form starts to falter.

Bak said: “I watch Kuba’s matches and I still cannot escape the impression that, despite his enormous potential, he hasn’t yet reached the level required in a team like Arsenal to always play from the first to the last minute.

“Kiwior is sometimes too easy to play in one-on-one situations, and he lacks the self-confidence required of a defender in the Premier League, which is built not so much on league matches, but performances in such competitions as the Champions League.”

Jakub Kiwior could be Arsenal’s long-term left-back option

Few Arsenal fans would have predicted Kiwior to become Arteta’s preferred option at left-back with Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and soon Jurrien Timber all in the squad.

Yet the former Serie A star has performer well beyond expectations that it’s almost hard to imagine Kiwior being replaced based off his current form in recent weeks.

Whilst Tomiyasu or Timber could be viewed by Arteta as the true heir to the left-back throne, Kiwior’s form has been too good for a chance to be made just yet, and the Pole will want to keep his spot for the rest of the season.