Real Madrid Awaited, Arsenal's "PTSD" Solution

LONDON, TUESDAY - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has the safest option to address the dilemma in the defensive line. However, that choice evokes a sense of trauma from an incident exactly one year ago. Real Madrid, with its world-class attacking lineup, complicates the decision-making process.

Defender Jakub Kiwior was the "scapegoat" for Arsenal's failure in the Champions League quarter-finals last season. He was involved in two fatal errors in the first leg that led to Bayern Munich's goals. Kiwior played only 45 minutes and was immediately substituted right after halftime.

Arteta has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ever since. His confidence in the Polish player has plummeted. Kiwior has been a rare player, especially in important matches, until main defender Gabriel Magalhaes was injured last week.

As if by coincidence, Arsenal is set to host defending champions Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals at Emirates Stadium, early Wednesday morning (9/4/2025) Western Indonesian Time. Gabriel has been confirmed to be injured until the end of the season. Kiwior has thus become the best option to fill the gap in the defense of "The Gunners."

Arteta stated that he has several alternatives for the left center-back position, namely Kiwior, as well as Ben White and Jurrien Timber, whose original position is full-back. However, he remains uncertain. "We will reassess the best options to fill the defensive line," he said.

In Arsenal's last game, against Everton on Saturday, Kiwior was given substitute duties. It was his first start after sitting on the bench for 14 consecutive league games. Interestingly, Kiwior was very solid for the full 90 minutes.

Even so, it should be noted that Madrid is on a different level compared to Everton. Madrid comes with world-class players such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham. "With the individual quality they possess, you know danger is always looming. We must be able to stop them," said Arteta.

Another option, White and Timber, are also accustomed to playing as central defenders. However, they have never been positioned on the left side. Arteta prioritizes that position for left-footed players, such as Gabriel and Kiwior. Changes in player types will affect the overall system.

Regardless of last season's trauma, Kiwior should be given a second chance. He performed poorly against Bayern partly because he was deployed as a left wing-back. That is not his natural position. Kiwior may not be as solid as Gabriel, but he is the best option at the moment.

The Arsenal player who knows Madrid best is Spanish international midfielder Mikel Merino. He played in La Liga, with Real Sociedad, for six seasons before leaving last summer. Merino warned his teammates not to lose focus.

Especially Arsenal's defense. Communication between the defenders must be maintained throughout the 90 minutes if they don't want to be caught out. "If you lose structure for a moment, don't defend properly, you will mess everything up," Merino told Marca.

Arsenal's first and last meeting with Madrid was in the 2005-06 Champions League semi-finals. That glorious past provided inspiration for Arsenal. They played without some of their best defenders, such as Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell, but managed to keep clean sheets in two consecutive games.

In fact, Madrid's attack line is so luxurious. "The Whites" came with David Beckham, Raul Gonzales, Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane. The match was separated by Thierry Henry's single goal to take Arsenal to the final. "What they have achieved is what we wanted," concluded Arteta.

Madrid will be tested in overcoming their weakness from set pieces. That weakness was exposed again when they lost 1-2 to Valencia last weekend. Valencia's opening goal came from a corner kick. According to SB Nation, Madrid have conceded 10 goals from corners this season.

Arsenal, dubbed the “corner kings”, will be very threatening with the visitors’ weakness. Bukayo Saka and his teammates have scored 11 goals from corners throughout the season. They are the most productive team in that aspect in the Premier League.

Real Madrid Head Coach Carlo Ancelotti asserted that he was not afraid at all. “Arsenal are very dangerous from dead balls. We will defend as best we can. However, not only them, we can also hurt from dead balls. That aspect will be very important in the match later,” he said.

Madrid can rest easy because their mainstay goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has recovered in time. He can return to play after being injured for the past two weeks. According to Courtois, the goalkeeper's role will be vital in thwarting dead ball schemes. He must be active in cutting off passes.

"We practiced that yesterday. We know how to stop them. One of the keys is not to give too many corners to the opposing team. Hopefully the preparation we have done can go well tomorrow," Courtois said.

In a duel between teams of the highest level, such as Arsenal versus Madrid, individual battles will be very decisive. Some of the actions worth looking forward to are the duels between fellow countrymen, Saliba and Mbappe in the Arsenal defense and Declan Rice and Bellingham in midfield. (AP/REUTERS)