"He CANNOT play against Madrid", "Holding might be better than him"- Fans slam Arsenal star despite 2-1 win over Fulham

Arsenal fans on social media have called out Jakub Kiwior despite their 2-1 win over Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday, April 1. The Polish defender came on as a substitute to replace the injured Gabriel Magalhães in the 16th minute.

However, Kiwior failed to impress the supporters and could partially be blamed for the only goal that the Gunners conceded during the game. He failed to cover for Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had overlapped during the build-up to Fulham's goal.

Mikel Merino opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 37th minute after being set-up by Ethan Nwaneri. Bukayo Saka marked his return from injury with a goal in the 73rd minute as he planted his header from close range into the net after a delicate flick from Gabriel Martinelli.

In added time (90+4'), Rodrigo Muniz pulled one back for Fulham following an assist from Ryan Sessegnon. However, Muniz's goal proved to be mere consolation as the game ended 2-1 in favor of Arsenal.

In 74 minutes on the pitch, Kiwior maintained a passing accuracy of 93% (41/44). He registered one tackle, five clearances, but lost possession of the ball four times (via Sofascore).

After the game, fans took to X to criticize the centre-back for his performance. Some fans even suggested that he shouldn't feature in defense against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. One fan tweeted:

"I’m sorry but Kiwior CANNOT play against Madrid."

"Shocking defending at the end. Madrid will murder us next week with Kiwior at centre half," another added.

"Kiwior is a horrible defender," a fan opined.

"Kiwior is Mustafi level of defenders," another fan suggested.

"I think Holding might be better than Kiwior I’m sorry but everytime he plays CB for us I get nervous as hell," wrote another.

How did Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli perform against Fulham?

Arsenal FC v Fulham FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Gabriel Martinelli had a brilliant outing against Fulham on Tuesday and was the Gunners' most potent threat in attack. The Brazilian winger provided the assist for Saka's goal in the second half.

Martinelli maintained a passing accuracy of 86% (18/21) against the Cottagers. He provided five key passes, created one big chance, and won two out of four ground duels contested (via Sofascore).

The Brazilian winger has scored six and delivered four assists in 25 Premier League games this season. However, Arsenal remain in second place in the league standings and have registered 61 points from 30 league games this season.

Mikel Arteta's men will take on Everton in their next Premier League game on Saturday, April 5.