Arsenal shared the spoils against Everton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners went into the game with a 12-point deficit to leaders Liverpool. They had to beat the Toffees to keep themselves in the title race.
However, they were unable to do so. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring from a Raheem Sterling assist in the 34th minute at Goodison Park.
Arsenal were in control for the opening 45 minutes, but they conceded shortly after the interval.
Everton received a fortuitous penalty. Myles Lewis-Skelly was deemed to have fouled Jack Harrison, but the initial contact was minimal and outside the box.
Despite the 1-1 draw, there were some positives to carry forward for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Jakub Kiwior performed much better from the left centre-back position. He was named the man of the match after a solid showing against the Toffees.
The Pole had 70 touches in the game and a passing accuracy of 94 percent. He was exceptional with his long range distribution and completed four long balls.
The centre-back also made a crucial block in the opening half. The 25-year-old had a good outing on the road and needs to replicate the same against Los Blancos.
Kiwior’s long passing skills could be more effective with Gabriel Martinelli on the counter attack.
Trossard was put through on goal by Kiwior today, but the Belgian failed to find the perfect finish.
There have been questions raised about Kiwior’s place in central defence. Based on today’s performance, he should get the nod to partner William Saliba against Madrid.
Jurrien Timber is likely to replace Ben White at right-back. Lewis-Skelly was unfortunate to concede an early second-half penalty. He should keep his place at left-back.
Stats from Sofascore.com
