Jakub Kiwior joined the club from Spezia in January. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
2. Jakub Kiwior
After Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury which saw him miss the latter stages of the season, Arsenal’s January signing, Jakob Kiwior, was the Ukrainian’s replacement.
During his first games in red and white, Kiwior scored a goal but also surprised fans with his impressive defensive performances and his adaptability in such a short time.
However, with his lack of game time comes the uncertainty of his true abilities. There is no way of knowing if the new signing had a purple patch or if he can maintain the quality of his defending. He impressed in Serie A with Spezia but the argument still stands on whether he can do it in the best league in the world with the highest of demands.
After a few pre-season games, where he should have proven his true quality, Arteta will then know the possibility of resting the likes of Gabriel and Zinchenko to avoid injury in games against weaker opposition or weaker competitions.
However, if he is poor in his pre-season campaign, it must be taken with a pinch of salt, as all friendly games should, but it should also be an alert for Arsenal to possibly look into the market for another backup defender option.
Continued on the next slide…
Nürnberg</a> before playing the MLS All-Stars, Manchester United and Barcelona ahead of their clash with AS Monaco in the Emirates Cup.</p>
<p>Although pre-season is great to boost players’ fitness and practice certain tactical ideologies and setups, it also gives a chance for youngsters and unknown qualities to prove themselves in a non-competitive setting.</p>
<p>However, only 11 players can be on the pitch at a time, and to ensure the best results, Mikel Arteta must manage his substitutes and game plan to allow an opportunity for as many players as possible.</p>
<p>With that, here are three players that should be given a chance to impress Arteta and make a last attempt to see themselves in and around the squad next year.</p>
<h2>3 Arsenal players who should be given an opportunity in pre-season</h2>
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<p lang="qme" dir="ltr">⏳ <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"https://t.co/aBTrWGI9X9">pic.twitter.com/aBTrWGI9X9
<p>— Balogun (@balogun) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"https://twitter.com/balogun/status/1661799482642628620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 25, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>1. Folarin Balogun</h2>
<p>The American striker has just come back from a season-long loan in Ligue 1 where he played a big role in Stade de Reims’ record-breaking campaign. Throughout his time in the French top flight, Balogun led the league’s golden boot record for part of the season but he was overtaken in the latter stages and he ended the season in fourth.</p>
<p>Now, as America’s starter, Balogun has rejoined the Gunners and after training at London Colney and travelling to Germany, he deserves an opportunity to impress. After netting 21 goals last season, it is only fair that the Hale End graduate is given a chance in pre-season.</p>
<p>Even with Gabriel Jesus’ place all but cemented, this fixture-congested year will undoubtedly see regular starters rotated and if he proves himself, Balogun could knock Eddie Nketiah down the pecking order and start fairly regularly.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 Jakub Kiwior </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-134119" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_368,w_594/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1474610444-420x260.jpeg" alt="" width="594" height="368"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:594px;">Jakub Kiwior joined the club from Spezia in January. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2. Jakub Kiwior</h2>
<p>After Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury which saw him miss the latter stages of the season, Arsenal’s January signing, Jakob Kiwior, was the Ukrainian’s replacement.</p>
<p>During his first games in red and white, Kiwior scored a goal but also surprised fans with his impressive defensive performances and his adaptability in such a short time.</p>
<p>However, with his lack of game time comes the uncertainty of his true abilities. There is no way of knowing if the new signing had a purple patch or if he can maintain the quality of his defending. He impressed in Serie A with Spezia but the argument still stands on whether he can do it in the best league in the world with the highest of demands.</p>
<p>After a few pre-season games, where he should have proven his true quality, Arteta will then know the possibility of resting the likes of Gabriel and Zinchenko to avoid injury in games against weaker opposition or weaker competitions.</p>
<p>However, if he is poor in his pre-season campaign, it must be taken with a pinch of salt, as all friendly games should, but it should also be an alert for Arsenal to possibly look into the market for another backup defender option.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 - Ethan Nwaneri </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-129512" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_393,w_634/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1424896269-420x260.jpeg" alt="" width="634" height="393"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:634px;">Arsenal’s record breaker has extended his stay in north London. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3. Ethan Nwaneri</h2>
<p>The Hale End graduate has recently signed a new contract with the Gunners amid his record-breaking season and media hype. At just 15 years old, when Arsenal faced Brentford, Nwaneri became the youngest-ever player to play in the Premier League. Although it is a very impressive achievement, he may only have featured to break the record and although he is undeniably talented, does his talent warrant the hype?</p>
<blockquote class="left ampstart-left"><strong>“It was a feeling that I had yesterday, I don’t know why…it’s just one step and all the steps in your career are not forward and you have to know that. You can go forward then backwards and then forwards. You fall, you go back – that’s, unfortunately, this industry and the football career of any player.” </strong><i>– Mikel Arteta on why he substituted Ethan Nwaneri</i>
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<p>Arteta will most likely look to answer the previous question in pre-season as it looks likely that Charlie Patino and <a title="Albert Sambi Lokonga’s likely next club – revealed" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/12/3-arsenal-players-who-shout-get-given-opportunity-pre-season/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/04/arsenal-albert-sambi-lokongas-likely-next-club-revealed/" rel="">Sambi Lokonga </a>are heading towards exits this summer. With this, as a forward-thinking club, it will give Arsenal a premature measurement of whether a new midfielder will be needed in the future or if Nwaneri can fill the boots of previous senior players.</p>
<p>Last season, Nwaneri scored seven goals and assisted five in the Arsenal U18 side and has been spoken highly of by his head coach and former Arsenal midfielder, Jack Wilshere, and the manager of the academy, Per Mertesacker.</p>
<p>After pre-season, depending on his level, it should be assessed whether Nwaneri is at a level where he should go out on loan to develop and get crucial game time or whether he could play in the first rounds of domestic competitions and evolve in north London.</p>
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<p>The English midfielder is an exciting man to keep your eye on and he will hope that his performances in pre-season will be enough to enter Arteta’s plans for the upcoming season.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
