Ian Wright says Arsenal star is ‘proving himself’ after ‘nervous’ Champions League performance

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has singled out Jakub Kiwior for special praise and believes the defender is beginning to ‘prove himself’ after a shaky performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta has been forced to rely on Kiwior following a devastating hamstring injury to first-choice centre-half Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Brazilian ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Kiwior has blown hot and cold across a mixed start to his Arsenal career and there has been some rumour and speculation that the 25-year-old could be on his way out of the Emirates in the summer.

But the Poland international has started all five of Arsenal’s matches since the blow to Gabriel and did not look at all out of place at the heart of Arteta’s defence in either leg of the club’s Champions League quarter-final victory over holders Real Madrid.

Kiwior played every minute alongside William Saliba at both the Emirates and the Bernabeu before contributing to the Gunners’ 12th clean sheet of the Premier League season in a 4-0 defeat of Ipswich on Sunday.

He is expected to continue his run in Arsenal’s starting XI on Wednesday night when Arteta’s men play host to London rivals Crystal Palace in the top flight.

Last season, Kiwior endured a torrid time against Leroy Sane – and was taken off at half-time – as Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich.

Legendary ex-Arsenal striker Wright was heavily critical of Kiwior at the time, but feels the centre-back has found his feet while filling in for Gabriel.

‘I think the nervousness came in the Champions League when Bayern Munich came and Leroy Sane really smoked him down that side,’ Wright said on Optus Sport’s The Kelly & Wrighty Show.

‘Ever since then, he’s been in and out and then for Gabriel Magalhaes to get the injury he got at that time, and Kiwior is the one that we’re depending on. Obviously, [Riccardo] Calafiori is not available.

‘You would worry and you worry simply because of the players he’s coming up against and the level of the pressure at this stage of the season for him.

‘But up to this point, he’s dealt with it unbelievably. He’s come in and he’s proving himself that he is good enough to be there.

‘He might have been caught out a few times and he’s made a couple of mistakes, but when we’ve needed him in this stage he’s come through and the squad has come through for Mikel in that respect.’

Wright believes Arsenal made Europe’s top talent sit up and take notice with their famous win over Madrid and are now an ‘attractive’ prospect to players seeking Premier League moves.

‘I think Andrea Berta has come in at the perfect time and for us to play in those two games and put on such a good performance… as much as people talk about how poorly Real Madrid played, I thought we were so organised,’ Wright continued.

‘We really put the game to them when we had the opportunity.

‘If I’m a player outside of Arsenal looking to come to the Premier League, to a team that is going to be in the Champions League and challenging, just looking at what Arsenal are capable of doing in those two games without a striker, a new left-back, another midfielder, that would make me feel like that team is going somewhere.’

He added: ‘It would be a place that would be starting to feel a little bit attractive as well, simply because of the manager and the intensity and he’s trying to win the league and win the Champions League. It feels like it’s an exciting prospect.

‘I think the Real Madrid tie really set off alarm bells everywhere that this is a serious team and I think the manager is the right guy to do it. We’ve just got to have patience with him.’

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