"Off-season for sure", "I fear for him" - Pundit slams 2 Arsenal stars after 2-1 Fulham defeat
Pundit Janusz Michaillik has criticised Arsenal duo Ben White and Jakub Kiwior after the Gunners' 2-1 Premier League defeat at Fulham on New Year's Eve.
Despite taking a fifth-minute lead through Bukayo Saka at Craven Cottage, Mikel Arteta's side suffered a disappointing loss, their second straight defeat. Raul Jimenez (29') and Bobby de Cordova-Reid (59') found the back of the net for the hosts to complete the comeback.
Michallik was sceptical of White and Kiwior's performance. White adapted brilliantly to the right-back slot last season, but this season, he has looked like a player who has been played out of position.
The clash against Fulham once again exposed White's vulnerabilities as Mikel Arteta's side were often left wide open at the back. Michallik told ESPN (via The Boot Room):
“They’re predictable. They don’t keep the width. They’re going inside, which every team says, ‘thank you very much. Come inside. Because your full-backs aren’t doing anything’.”
Michallik added that White, who joined the Gunners from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £50 million in 2021, is having an off-season. The pundit also expressed concern about Kiwior, saying that the Pole, a central defender, is also not playing in his preferred position:
“Ben White, off season for sure, hasn’t been good. Replaced early again. Jakub Kiwior, I fear for him because he hasn’t played in his position yet.”
Arsenal have lost three of their last five league games, winning only one. Arteta's side dropped 11 points in December and are fourth in the Premier League, with 40 points from 20 games, two points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Mikel Arteta slams Arsenal's performance against Fulham
After losing to West Ham United at the Emirates in midweek, Arsenal suffered yet another loss, this time at Fulham. Arteta said that the team's performance against the Cottagers was not up to the mark, unlike in the previous game.
The Spaniard was critical of the overall display and didn't hide his frustration (via the Gunners' website):
"Painful, that’s how I’d sum it up. We had the opportunity to be top of the table after 20 games with the consistency that we’ve shown, and we haven’t managed to perform well enough to earn the right to win the game.
"Three days ago, we lost a game that we fully deserved to win, but, today, was a very different story."
Arsenal play their first game in 2024 with an FA Cup showdown against Liverpool on January 7.