Arsenal picked up their fourth win in as many games last night and, in doing so, kept the Premier League title race very much alive.
Mikel Arteta’s side were not at their sparkling best against Manchester United, but put in a determined display and deservedly came away with all three points.
However, just because the attacking players somewhat flattered to deceive at the Emirates, there were still a handful of standout performers for the North Londoners.
2
Goals
0
50%
Possession
50%
2.16
Expected Goals
0.22
5
Big Chances
0
14
Total Shots
5
2
Saves
4
13
Corners
0
12
Fouls
8
463
Passes
476
15
Tackles
19
1
Yellow Cards
3
Moreover, one of said performers was rumoured to be up for sale next month, but now looks utterly indispensable.
Arsenal's standout stars vs Manchester United
Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at some of the other Arsenal players who stood out for the right reasons last night, starting with the man who broke the deadlock, Jurrien Timber.
The Dutch international put in another scintillating display at right-back, getting forward to support Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard but then also giving Alejandro Garnacho absolutely no joy in defence, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the Standard’s Simon Collings award the former Ajax star an 8/10 match rating at fulltime.
However, he wasn’t the only defender who put the ball in the back of the net, as to his left, William Saliba was once again monstrous at the back.
The Frenchman, who also received an 8/10 from Collings, blocked, intercepted and tackled everything that came his way while also playing some exquisite passes of his own to help the North Londoners launch their attacks.
Lastly, while he didn’t score a goal, Declan Rice was just as impressive as his defensive teammates. The former West Ham United captain was a constant threat from corners, an impassible wall in midfield and, as Collings wrote, ‘gave Arsenal the injection of energy they needed’ in the second 45 after a slightly underwhelming first half.
With all that said, all three of these players have, justifiably, received plenty of praise since last night, but there’s another defender who should be receiving just as many plaudits, a defender who has surely just made himself indispensable.
Arsenal's unsung hero vs Manchester United
So, to get straight to the point, the Arsenal player who was as good as the aforementioned players last night was Jakub Kiwior.
That said, his performance was potentially more important than anyone else’s, at least from a personal point of view, as according to reports from last month, the club were looking to sell the Polish international in January for a fee as low as €25m, which is just £25m.
However, with Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori out injured for last night’s must-win clash, Arteta had no choice but to start the former Spezia ace in his preferred position of left centre-back, and he more than repaid his manager.
The “extraordinary” 24-year-old, as dubbed by the iconic Robert Lewandowski, put in an intelligent display against the Red Devils, stepping off players when necessary and only going in for a challenge when it was clear he’d come out victorious.
Moreover, he showed fans that he’s no slouch with the ball at his feet either, playing some brilliant passes in the second half, including an excellent one into the path of Leandro Trossard, who really should have done something with it.
Unsurprisingly, Collings was equally impressed with the Tychy-born titan and gave him an 8/10 rating on the night, writing that while he ‘flew under the radar’ somewhat, he ‘had a great game with and without the ball.’
This appraisal is more than backed up by the statistics from the night, as in 94 minutes, the 6 foot 2 star made four clearances, won 100% of his ground duels and two of three aerial duels, made two tackles, took 61 touches, played one key pass, wasn’t dribbled past even once and didn’t commit even a single foul.
Ultimately, while he isn’t a regular starter for Arsenal, Kiwior demonstrated last night why he is an indispensable player for the club, as he came in for an injured Gabriel in a must-win game and didn’t put a foot wrong.
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