Swimming with the sharks: Gabriel injury drops Jakub Kiwior in the deep end

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Jack McRae

on

4th Apr 2025

_{^{Arsenal’s hopes of silverware rest on the slender shoulders of Jakub Kiwior, the likely stand-in for Gabriel.}} _{^{Photograph: FMT Creative Commons}}

A large portion of the crowd had not noticed Arsenal’s hopes of silverware lying stricken on the floor. The attack was flowing upfield towards the Clock End and, bar a few concerned murmurings around the North Bank, the Emirates was focused on breaking the deadlock against Fulham.

It was only when the ball was cleared and the visitors surged back that the panic at the glaring hole in both the defence and the season’s ambitions became clear. The whistles began, hounding the unsportsmanlike possession, as Arsenal’s trophy hopes hobbled, staggered and limped hopelessly on the edge of the penalty area.

Eventually the ball was put out of play and the physios ran onto the pitch to patch up the campaign’s remains. It was too late. Gabriel Magalhães, Arsenal’s probable player of the season, had torn his hamstring and, in doing so, the Gunners’ hopes of beating Real Madrid in the Champions League were slashed.

Bukayo Saka stole the headlines after his own scoring return from the same injury, but Gabriel’s injury has pummelled that initial sense of hopefulness. This is not to slight his potential replacement; be it Jakub Kiwior, or a half-fit Ben White. But, it is hard to argue that Gabriel has not been Arsenal’s stand out player this season.

On Tuesday, Arsenal’s ‘wall at the back’ will be missing when the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham swagger into London. It is difficult to imagine the Harlem Globetrotters of attacking football would not crack half a smile at the prospect of facing either Kiwior or White – who have just 20 league appearances combined this season – rather than Gabriel.

Los Blancos’ shaky defence will also be breathing a heavy sigh of relief that they will not have to confront one of the Gunners and world’s biggest threats from corners. Set-pieces have often acted as Arsenal’s crutch this season and the Brazilian has provided much of that offensive support. A huge presence at both the back and going forward has been lost.

*_{^{Gabriel’s attacking threat from set pieces will be a huge miss for Arsenal. Photograph: FMT Creative Commons}}*

It is almost impossible to not be pessimistic. Particularly as this is not a new feeling. An injury to William Saliba shattered Arsenal’s title hopes as understudy Rob Holding was bullied, humiliated and laughed off by Erling Haaland in 2023. Arsenal are victims of their own defensive success with the partnership between Saliba and Gabriel so strong that any replacements have not had time to bed into the heart of defence. While both are excellent individual defenders, how can they be expected to maintain their levels when their counterpart cannot offer the same sense of familiarity?

The truth is they cannot. You only have to look at the faltering start Madrid’s star-studded attack had at the start of the season with the same movements, runs, and egos clashing. Only since the turn of the year has Mbappe started to find his usual devastating rhythm, Bellingham’s attacking output has halved, Rodrygo was benched and Vinicus did not offer the same threat down the middle.

Madrid’s forward line possesses four of the shiniest jewels in the world, and yet it took time to click when Mbappe was added. Kiwior has not had the same time to gel and 90 minutes here and there in the League Cup will have done little to prepare him for the glittering onslaught waiting for him on Tuesday.

The Polish international is a competent defender and can probably count himself unlucky that he has not been granted the opportunities to show what he is capable of in his natural position. He was largely written off last season when he struggled at left-back, epitomised by his flailing at this stage of the Champions League last year against Bayern Munich. He now has what is likely the only and final opportunity of his career to prove he can survive at this level, even if he is wildly unprepared for such a challenge.

Arsenal’s Champions League hopes weigh heavy on his slender shoulders. He wouldn’t and shouldn’t have been expected to deal with this level of pressure, but the reality is he must. The fate of Holding suggests that, should he capitulate in a similar fashion, his time amongst the elite echelons of football could be over.

It may be cruel and it may be unfair to heap such demands on a bit-part player. It should never have got to this point but various injuries and unfortunate circumstances have dropped him in the deep end.

Now, Kiwior must swim with the Real Madrid sharks and survive.

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