Starting Kiwior would’ve been the best option to cover for Saliba | OneFootball

One step forward, two steps back! That has been the story of our campaign thus far, and it has been a frustrating past few months for the fan base. Against Aston Villa, Arsenal failed to consolidate their win over Spurs in midweek as we threw away a two-nil lead at the Emirates.

The 2-2 draw now means that we are back to being six points off the leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. In a game where we dominated the key metrics, two errors in particular were to blame for the dropped points. The two goals we conceded were due to poor marking by Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey, with the latter arguably making the worst mistake as he essentially facilitated an easy finish for Ollie Watkins. It is worth noting that the two goals we conceded are not the type we usually allow, but then again, it should come as no surprise considering William Saliba was absent from the squad.

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The areas where we conceded are positions you would expect Saliba to occupy to clear the danger, but instead, we were punished. Looking at Thomas Partey’s struggles at right-back, it would have been a smarter choice to play Jakub Kiwior for Saliba. This would have had a knock-on effect, allowing Timber to play in his favoured right-back position while Partey could have taken his place in midfield. Kiwior’s last appearance came in that poor showing against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, with the Polish international failing to come off the bench in the eight games since.

With Saliba missing the match due to injury, Kiwior should have been used to cover, as he would likely have been more effective in the aerial duels than Jurrien Timber at the heart of the defence.

My reasoning for starting Kiwior also stems from the fact that we would not have seen Partey play on the right. With each passing game, it is becoming clear that he is not suited to that position. Reviewing the goals, it is fair to say Partey was partly to blame, as both originated from or near his area. This is not to scapegoat him, but simply to highlight how unsuitable he is for the role.

We probably would have won that game comfortably if Saliba had been available, no doubt! However, with the luck we have had with injuries this campaign, it is a result we will have to painfully accept.

Should Kiwior have started over Timber? Opinions in the comments, Gooners.

BENJAMIN KENNETH

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