It feels as if Arsenal are on the precipice of something very special this season, and while much of the attention is on the incredible Premier League title race, European glory is a very real possibility.

Mikel Arteta's side are potentially just 90 minutes away from reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010, but they'll have to beat Porto to do so.

The Gunners have looked unreal in recent weeks, and while there will be a temptation to leave the team as similar to the one that won on Saturday as possible, Arteta should make one key change in a bid to replicate a famous 5-0 win over the Portuguese outfit all the way back in March 2010.

GK – Manuel Almunia

RB – Bacary Sagna

CB – Sol Campbell

CB – Thomas Vermaelen

LB – Gael Clichy

CM – Abou Diaby

CM – Alex Song

CAM – Samir Nasri

RM – Tomas Rosicky

LM – Andrey Arshavin

ST – Nicklas Bendtner

Jakub Kiwior's game vs Brentford in numbers

The player who should be taken out of the team tonight is Poland international Jakub Kiwior.

Now, it might sound harsh given his recent performances in the league, and in all honesty, it is, but while he shone against the likes of Burnley, Newcastle United, and Sheffield United – registering a goal involvement in each match – he was underwhelming against the Bees.

This sentiment was shared by 90min's Sean Walsh, who awarded the 24-year-old a 6/10 on the night, writing that while the Tychy-born pro 'defended well enough,' he 'didn't provide enough in the final third when Arsenal needed more quality down the left.'

The former Spezia man's statistics backs up Walsh's assessment. In his 79 minutes of action, he registered an expected assists figure of just 0.04, lost possession 14 times, maintained a passing accuracy of only 77%, played one key pass, was accurate in one of his four long balls, and misplaced two of his three crosses.

Minutes

79'

Expected Assists

0.04

Lost Possession

49

Accurate Passes

37/48 (77%)

Key Passes

1

Long Balls (Accurate)

4 (1)

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (1)

However, perhaps the most telling moment was his substitution. In the 79th minute, with Arsenal still searching for a win, Arteta opted to bring on Oleksander Zinchenko in his place, which could serve as a hint of what's to come on Tuesday night.

Why Oleksandr Zinchenko should start

Yes, Kiwior's replacement on Saturday should be the man to start in his place at the Emirates against Porto.

Zinchenko hasn't started a game since the victory over Liverpool on February 4th. However, his substitute appearance against the Bees and Arteta's confirmation on Monday that he, among others, will be fit enough to start against Porto should reduce concerns about his fitness.

The main reason the former Manchester City ace should start over his inform teammate is his ability to influence the attacking phase of play, given Arsenal's need for two goals or more.

This superiority is exemplified by the pair's underlying numbers this season, as in most, if not all, attacking metrics, the "silky" Ukrainian, as journalist Sam Dean described him, comes out ahead.

Expected Assists

0.11

0.09

Progressive Passes

12.3

5.45

Progressive Carries

2.25

0.45

Progressive Passes Received

3.38

1.48

Passing Accuracy

87.8%

84.6%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.44

1.14

Tackles Won

1.69

1.36

Successful Take-Ons

0.44

0.11

Ball Recoveries

5.38

3.18

He produces far more progressive passes and carries, maintains better passing accuracy, produces far more shot-creating actions, is more successful in his dribbles, and even wins more tackles and recovers more balls, suggesting his defensive fragilities might not be as prevalent as some believe.

Ultimately, it is harsh on Kiwior to take him out of the team off the back of some great performances, but with the situation demanding Arsenal attack Porto, Arteta is better off starting the more offensive of the pair.

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