With Saliba out for Arsenal’s remaining games, why isn’t Arteta giving Kiwior a chance?

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·24 April 2023

With Saliba out for Arsenal’s remaining games, why isn’t Arteta giving Kiwior a chance?

Is Kiwior a panic buy or just a space taker? by Shenel

There is one thing that is confusing me a little where Mikel Arteta and his team selection is concerned, William Saliba is out injured and Jakub Kiwior is constantly on the bench.

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Why?

Did we buy him just so he can warm the bench up and make up that extra number in the team? Or will he be used when it is too late?

We bought him in January, obviously because the club saw something in him, or know something about him that Arteta thought would fit well into the team. He is a known centre-back and can fill in for Saliba, yet he doesn’t get a look in for one reason or another.

Because Arsenal are not playing him and they are not giving him a chance, we will never know if he can perform to the level required or not as it is hard to tell when a player is benched.

Now I do not want to speak negative about Rob Holding, but there is no denying that since he has come in, the defence has become shaky.

Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Gabriel and even Alex Zinchenko do not look confident, solid or comfortable anymore.

And we used to have a solid defence, but since Saliba has been out we have become weak in that position.

Yet Arsenal went out in January and bought Kiwior who was recommended to them clearly by a scout. Well why haven’t they given him a chance to play?

Yes, he played in the first Europa League match against Sporting Lisbon and was shaky, but a player that hasn’t been given game time surely needs backing and more game time? In fact, since the Lisbon game, he has made two League appearances totalling a whole 14 minutes!

What I don’t understand is why buy players if you don’t play them?

Kiwior deserves a chance, and maybe Holding needs a rest, and then if it doesn’t work out they can put Holding back in if Saliba is not fit enough to play.

But now is the time that Arteta needs to take some risks and make some changes especially to that back line, or he will be at risk of chucking the title away even more.

Well let’s put it this way, there’s no harm in trying something new. We have dropped six points in three games, so it can’t get any worse right?

Shenel Osman

@sh3n3l_

Arteta proud of our comeback after Arsenal 3-3 Southampton