Jamie Carragher says £20m Arsenal player was not up to Champions League level this season

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Arsenal have had a fantastic season.

The Gunners are potentially on course to win their first league title in 20 years, and even if they don’t win the league, they can be proud of their efforts this term.

However, there may be a sense of disappointment around their Champions League campaign.

Indeed, Arsenal crashed out at the quarter-final stage to Bayern Munich, losing 3-2 on aggregate after a loss at the Allianz Arena.

In a season where Bayern have been below-par, Arsenal will have fancied their chances of getting past the Germans, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

Speaking on CBS, Jamie Carragher has been discussing Bayern Munich’s Champions League run so far, and he made an interesting claim about one Arsenal player.

Indeed, Carragher pointed the finger towards Jakub Kiwior, claiming that he wasn’t at the required level in the Champions League this season and it cost Arsenal.

Jakub Kiwior cost Arsenal

Carragher spoke about the Polish defender.

“The reason Bayern Munich have beat Arsenal is because Arsenal, in the first leg, had a defender, Kiwior who was not at the level and he cost them, he cost Arsenal in that first leg and Kim has let Bayern Munich down in this first-leg, he really has,” Carragher said.

Jakub Kiwior wasn’t experienced

Carragher is right in a lot of ways, Kiwior wasn’t quite good enough for Arsenal in the Champions League this term, but, to be fair, we can chalk that down to a lack of experience.

Indeed, this was Kiwior’s first Champions League campaign, and his first real experience of playing in crunch fixtures.

Most of Arsenal’s team have been in these big games before be that at international or club level, but, for Kiwior, this was his first rodeo, and we can’t blame him for struggling a bit.

The £20m defender has shown in the Premier League this term how talented he is, and we’re sure he’ll be much more comfortable in the Champions League next time around.