When Gabriel Magalhaes hobbled down the tunnel during Arsenal‘s game against Fulham earlier this month, fans feared the worst.
Not for that game, especially – the Gunners went on to win 2-1 without him – but for what it meant for the season as a whole.
The Premier League title was all but gone by that stage, but “Big Gabi”, as he’s affectionately known, would be a big miss in the Champions League. He and William Saliba have established themselves as the foremost centre-back pairing in England and one of the best in Europe.
square FOOTBALL Sport AnalysisWhich Rice free-kick was better? Arsenal fans and experts pick their favourite
Read More
Gabriel’s misfortune was compounded by Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori’s ongoing injury issues. White has only started a combined 12 games in the big two competitions, while Calafiori hasn’t featured in over a month.
The absences practically forced Mikel Arteta to turn to Jakub Kiwior to replenish his defensive axis.
The 25-year-old had started just twice in the Premier League prior to Gabriel’s setback, and though he was utilised more in Europe, it was often in dead rubber games to give the Brazilian or Saliba a breather.
Pitting the Pole, who is not renowned for his speed, directly against Kylian Mbappe in a Champions League quarter-final seemed like an obvious mismatch, a tortoise and the hare situation.
Real Madrid predictably tried to target him as a weak link, with Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo often gravitating over towards his side to join Mbappe. To his credit, they didn’t get very far.
Kiwior didn’t put a foot wrong in either leg, and Madrid’s only goal across the 180 minutes came after a lapse from David Raya and Saliba. Vinicius Jr’s goal aside, Arsenal restricted Madrid to precious few opportunities, just six shots on target and a combined 1.91 xG in the Emirates and Bernabeu.
Former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown was full of praise for Kiwior (Photo: Getty)
It is perhaps indicative of Arteta’s faith in Kiwior – trust not always reciprocated by Arsenal’s fanbase – that the gameplan barely changed with him in the team.
There were points in the tie when Arsenal inevitably dropped deeper than usual to contain a Madrid attack that only flittered into life sporadically. But they also pushed high too, taking the game to their hosts more than they might have been expected to, given the 3-0 aggregate lead.
Kiwior’s displays in both games drew praise from Martin Keown.
“I think a shoutout for Kiwior [is deserved] as well because everyone was looking at him as a weakness in the team,” Keown said on Wednesday. “He’s stood up and he’s played exceptionally well tonight.”
A popular Arsenal blog began an article on the defender last week with the sentence: “Jakub Kiwior, we’re sorry.” Type his name into the X search bar, and you will be inundated with posts along similar lines, a communal outpouring of repentance from Gooners who had all but written him off.
Kiwior is the type of player who goes unnoticed, unless he makes a mistake. His style is more subdued than Saliba, who has a penchant for producing spectacular moments, and Gabriel, a blood-and-thunder defender and wind-up merchant who gets the crowd going.
He is unfussy and competent, and provides natural left-footed balance, precisely what Arteta would want from a Gabriel understudy. Whether Kiwior is happy to remain on the fringes remains to be seen.
Will Kiwior be sold this summer?
Practically ever since he moved to north London from Spezia in January 2023, Kiwior has been tipped to return to Serie A.
Reports in Italy have linked him to Napoli just this week. Arteta will no doubt be keen to keep him, given how he has acquitted himself of late.
Regardless of how well he performs, this spell in the starting line-up is a temporary one which will end when Gabriel returns. But over the past 10 days, he has demonstrably shown that he is capable of playing at this level.
Your next read
square FOOTBALLHow Sandro Tonali became Newcastle’s £150m midfielder
square FOOTBALLHow do Brighton join the elite without losing the magic?
square FOOTBALLWhat aura? Arsenal dismantle Real Madrid to prove they can go all the way
square FOOTBALLDominic Solanke’s staggering drop-off has handed Tottenham a new problem
Stepping in from the fringes to marshal Mbappe takes some doing. Arsenal’s triumph over the 15-time European champions will be remembered most by Declan Rice’s free-kicks in the first leg, Bukayo Saka‘s impudent chip in the second and Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s ridiculous fearlessness at 18.
Kiwior’s mark on the tie was more subtle, but no less important. Arsenal have a new unsung hero. Further examinations will come, but if Kiwior can help shut Madrid and their galaxy of superstars down, he can do likewise against PSG. He is Arsenal’s weak link no more.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How Jakub Kiwior proved Arsenal fans wrong )
Also on site :
- Assault suspect shot by police at Morgan Hill Safeway
- Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Loses Bid to Delay Sex Trafficking Trial
- ‘He’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles’: Trump appears to hold up photoshopped image of Abrego Garcia’s hand