How £21m signing has created an impressive impact at Arsenal in title race

Mikel Arteta received plaudits for integrating Jakub Kiwior into Arsenal’s lineup, a move that proved instrumental in their 4-1 victory over Newcastle United in the Premier League. Kiwior played a pivotal role in the match, contributing to Arsenal’s defensive solidity and even finding the net himself to seal their win at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners’ triumph propelled them within striking distance of league leaders Liverpool, trailing by just two points, while also placing them one point behind second-placed Manchester City with 12 matches remaining in the season. Arteta’s decision to field Kiwior at left-back alongside William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White in defense paid dividends, especially in the absence of the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Burley also argued that having Kiwior in the team helped add a tactical advantage compared to if Zincheno was in the line-up. He told ESPN: “[Jakub] Kiwior coming in for [Oleksandr] Zinchenko, it’s kind of stopped that, ’Oh, let’s go and sort of flaff about in the middle with the extra [player]’, he’s more of a natural full-back.

“So, they’ve all of a sudden got [Ben] White on one side, Kiwior on the other, and they’ve got four guys who, yeah, they’ll get forward, but guess what? They want to defend as well. And that’s given them some stability at the back.”

Arsenal signed Kiwior from Spezia last summer in a deal worth £17.5 million plus a potential additional £3.5 million in add-ons. He has gone on to make 22 appearances for the Gunners, and his goal against Newcastle was his first since signing for the club.