Jakub Kiwior Arsenal decision has already been justified after Mikel Arteta masterstroke

Mikel Arteta has discovered a surprising secret weapon that's helping Arsenal's title bid. The Gunners boss clearly favours versatility.

Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the standout examples on theArsenal books. Each can cover at least two defensive roles without the lofty standards at the Emirates dropping, although fans haven't really seen Timber at his best yet because of a serious knee injury he got on the first weekend of the season.

However, Jakub Kiwior is another player who's doing well in a new position, even though he struggled with it earlier in the season. When the Poland international came on forOleksandr Zinchenko at half-time in the 3-1 win over Liverpool at the beginning of the month, many people thought he would have another bad game like he did against the Reds in the FA Cup at the start of 2024.

Kiwior returned a WhoScored.com rating of just 5.33 as Arsenal fell to a third successive defeat in all competitions. However, the winter break came at the perfect time for Arteta's side, as they regrouped.

When Zinchenko came off at the break against Liverpool at the start of February, the expectation was that Jurgen Klopp's side would target the former Spezia man. However, Kiwior stood firm, ending the game with an assist for good measure as he turned provider for Leandro Trossard late on to put the result beyond doubt.

Since his return to the XI, Kiwior hasn't really put a foot wrong. The likes of William Saliba and Gabriel draw the praise, yet the 24-year-old hasn't looked out of place at left-back, which is a far cry from his showings in the position earlier in the campaign.

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