Warsaw (Poland), May 3 (IANS) Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta hailed Polish defender Jakub Kiwior who made his Premier League debut in the Gunners’ 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday.
Arteta’s players kept their title hopes alive with a two-point advantage over Manchester City, who have nevertheless played two games less.
Getting a chance from the Spanish coach, the 23-year-old, who joined Arsenal from Italian side Spezia for about 25 million euros in January, made his debut in the Premier League, a Xinhua report said.
Arteta said the Pole handled the pressure well. “He looked ready and fresh. He looked really determined. He has been getting better and better every single day, not only in training but with his interaction and his language,” the Arsenal coach was quoted as saying by British media on Wednesday.
“He’s more settled and he’s a player that I really like, that’s why I signed him. He has the potential at his age to be great, and he had a big task against the players he had to face against Chelsea. I think he did really well,” Arteta added.
Kiwior expressed his satisfaction towards himself after the match.
“I was aware that playing 90 minutes in the Premier League is a big challenge. I’m happy that I got a chance. I think I helped my team take vital three points. For me it’s very important to play as much as possible,” the defender said.
“We were focused and determined from the first minute. I showed the coach that I’m ready. It’s hard to say whether I will play in the next game but I’m happy with my performance against Chelsea,” he concluded.
–IANS
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