Arsenal loanee Krystian Bielik made his first start for Birmingham City.
Preston North End’s Tom Barkhuizen and Birmingham City’s Krystian Bielik in action
It is just over two years since Arsenal raided Legia Warsaw to sign highly rated Polish talent Krystian Bielik.
The 19-year-old arrived as a defensive midfielder but was immediately used as a centre-back for Arsenal’s under-21 side.
He has largely continued there, and made his debut for loan club Birmingham City last night at centre-back, starting as part of a back three.
It was Bielik’s first competitive start, playing for Gianfranco Zola’s side against a team which gave Arsenal a tough test in the FA Cup last month.
Birmingham have won only one game since Zola was appointed in early December, and suffered defeat again last night, going down 2-1 away against Preston North End.
| Passing Accuracy | Won Tackle | Interception Won | Ball Recovery | Aerial Won | Effective Clearance | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krystian Bielik | 83% | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 90 |
Birmingham’s defence was at sea for Preston’s goals, with confusion over who should have been marking who, but it was a performance from Bielik which had some encouraging signs.
He made more clearances than any other Birmingham defender, and was composed in possession, with his 83 per cent pass accuracy bettered only by two teammates on the night.
Commenting after the game, Zola told the club website: “It was because they had a big player up front and I was afraid of crosses into the box and long balls. He (Bielik) has the size and in the week I saw his qualities as well. The game also showed that.”
The Pole would obviously have preferred a different result on such a momentous night individually, but he did enough to suggest he warrants further opportunities, even though it will continue to be tough for the freefalling Blues.
Getting even tougher… Birmingham manager Gianfranco Zola
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