Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table after a difficult week on the domestic and European scene.
It was probably expected that Bayern Munich would progress in the Champions League given their experience in this competition.
But suffering a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa last week was costly for Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
The only way to bounce back is by collecting three points and Mikel Arteta’s side did just that as they beat Wolves 2-0, whilst also securing a clean sheet and moving to the top of the Premier League table.
That has been the team’s strong point during this campaign, with David Raya keeping 13 clean sheets for the title-chasers.
For large parts, Arsenal’s backline has been untouched with Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes making up most of the back four.
When it comes to the left-back spot, that’s where it has chopped and changed with Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu deploying that role this season.
It was Kiwior who started the win at Wolves and he seems to have cast some doubt from Martin Keown.
The legendary Gooner stated that the Polish star ’isn’t completely ready’ as he highlighted him as a weak point, as he told Premier League Productions (20/04/24 at 9:40 pm).
There was a moment when the 24-year-old misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed Joao Gomes to run through on goal and have a shot from an angle.
But Keown thinks it’s a problem area for his former club and it will be addressed during the summer transfer window.
Jakub Kiwior at left-back for Arsenal
“Kiwior at left-back, it maybe feels like he isn’t completely ready,” said Keown. “But he is another central defender playing out of position. Tomiyasu wasn’t available.
“We will have to look and assess at the end of the season to see which area he wants to strengthen in. That’s an area where Tierney was allowed to go out on loan and Zinchenko has had injury issues, so they have been decimated a little bit. Timber out with an ACL and Tomiyasu out again.
“He hasn’t really got any reliability in that left-back spot.”
Arsenal against Chelsea
These London derbies can be really damaging if you end up on the losing side and that might be the case on Tuesday night.
Before Arsenal face Tottenham in the north London derby, it’s the small matter of Chelsea in a midweek game at the Emirates.
Not only do Arteta and his players need to win this match to stay in the Premier League title race.
But this is also huge for Chelsea’s under-fire boss Mauricio Pochettino, who lost the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester City over the weekend.
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