Latvian striker Vladislavs Gutkovskis made his first start for Arka Gdynia since joining the club, helping his side secure a 2-1 victory over GKS Katowice in the Polish Ekstraklasa.
The 30-year-old forward returned to the Polish top flight in January after spending several seasons in South Korea. He previously won the Polish championship during his earlier spell in the league with Rakow. Gutkovskis had been set to start in the previous match as well, but a minor issue during warm-up delayed his return to the starting lineup until today.
Arka were looking to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of 2026 in the previous round against Pogoń Szczecin. Their response did not begin smoothly, as GKS Katowice, with Estonian international Märten Kuusk on the bench, took the lead in the very first minute through Mateusz Wdowiak.
Despite the early setback, Arka responded well. Late in the first half, they scored twice within 12 minutes to turn the match around. Michał Marcjanik equalised before Nazariy Rusyn added a second to give the hosts the lead before the break.
No further goals were scored in the second half, and Arka held on to secure a 2-1 victory.
Gutkovskis, making his third appearance for the club, played 62 minutes and received a yellow card. The win lifts Arka temporarily out of the relegation zone, moving them up to 15th place with 25 points from 18 teams.
Next up for Gutkovskis and Arka is a home match on Friday against Lechia Gdańsk, who feature another Latvian international, Alvis Jaunzems.
Source: https://www.ekstraklasa.org/aktualnosci/22860/skrot-arka-2-1-gks-kolejny-triumf-w-gdyni
