Former Gunners striker Ian Wright believes that Mikel Arteta is ‘done’ with one Arsenal star and implied he is no longer trusted to be on the pitch for the big occasion.
Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League, trailing Liverpool by eight points, who also have a game in hand. While Arteta’s team has only suffered two league defeats this season, eight draws have hindered their efforts to close the gap on the table-toppers.
Injuries have played a significant role in Arsenal’s challenges, with key players like Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka already sidelined for extended periods. Recently, William Saliba also joined the injury list, but despite concerns, the French defender appears to be close to making a return.
However, amid these injury struggles, one player has raised concern: Jakub Kiwior. The Polish defender has been largely overlooked by Arteta, prompting worry from Ian Wright. Despite Saliba’s injury, Kiwior did not feature against Aston Villa, with Arteta opting to play players out of position instead.
“It’s worrying, if you’re Kiwior right now, you’re probably thinking it’s done,” Wright said on The Kelly and Wrighty Show with Kelly Cates.
Kiwior, who was signed for £20m in January 2023, has made 35 Premier League appearances but has been an unused substitute for Arsenal’s last seven league matches. He did, however, return to the starting lineup for Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb.
Arsenal are on track to comfortably qualify for the later stages of the tournament, which could present a perfect opportunity for Kiwior to reclaim his place in Arteta’s plans.
Wright, however, expressed dissatisfaction with Arteta’s defensive adjustments in Saliba’s absence during the match against Aston Villa. Jurien Timber replaced Saliba, while Thomas Partey was deployed at right-back.
“For me, if you’re going to change like that, I’d have put Declan Rice at right centre-back and Timber at right-back,” Wright added, suggesting he would have preferred a different defensive setup.
