Throughout the day we will be asking readers to vote for their favoured Arsenal starting line-ups, and while we know the team is picked differently depending on our opponents, we would like to know who you rate as our best.
We will kick this off with the goalkeeper, and you could not pick a more relevant subject, given David Ospina’s heroics in midweek, which could well have earned us all three points.
The Colombian was amazing between the sticks, despite letting in a goal in the opening minute of the match, conjuring up a number of top saves to deny the likes of Edinson Cavani and co.
His efforts kept us within touching distance, and Alexis Sanchez managed to level the scoring, before Alex Iwobi was set through for a great opportunity to win us the match, only for his placed shot to be saved.
Arsene Wenger has moved to declare that he has two World Class options in goal after that performance, and many would deem Ospina to have been unlucky to have lost his first-team role in the summer of Petr Cech’s arrival, having been astonishing in the six months before his team-mate’s arrival.
The former Chelsea star has proven to be one of the most consistent shot-stoppers in the English top flight over a large number of years, and you could also argue that he was unfairly benched in favour of his younger counterpart Thibaut Courtois while with the Blues. Their loss is our gain however, and we now have one of the best goalkeepers to ever grace the Premier League.
The former Czech international has conceded six goals already this term, although how much of the blame for the four goals against Liverpool can you stamp on him?
I know who I prefer to see between the sticks, but let me know your selection below.
Name your favoured GK
- Petr Cech (58%, 289 Votes)
- David Ospina (42%, 211 Votes)
Total Voters: 500
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Cech, Bell, Mustafi, kosc, Gibbs,
El neny, Xhaka
Perez, Ozil, Sanchez
Giroud
Subs, osp, holding,santi, coq,ox, nacho,theo (if fit) otherwise Rene Adelaide
Now they may be most who say Gibbs over Nacho but full backs use up a lot of energy from game to game & it’s 3rd one in a week, on top of that nacho took a real pasting by Aurier he was shockingly poor. Also it will clearly show if Gibbs is chomping at the bit, he can come in and have an outstanding game and give wenger food for thought like we all want him to or play bang average and not change ppls mind that he just isn’t good enough.
If he can do it against hull he ain’t worth wearing the Shirt end of, Xhaka and El neny there’s energy,power,passing I’m abundance with them 2 it’s a must for me & gives Ozil that extra protection that he needs to purely concentrate on attacking & nothing else.
55%/45%, great! That means even the fans know we have 2 stoppers who both can be used.
It’s a shame both of them however lack some qualities that the other possesses. In example:
Ospina – phenomenal reflexes, but not commanding at all on corners, free kicks etc.
Cech – great at air, good distribution, calm but he gets beaten at times way too easily (front post for example)
If we could somehow manage to create a hybrid of them with mixing their genes… Petr Ospina?
54/46 omg this is so close.
I think this poll is coming a bit too soon. However, Cech hasn’t exactly wowed me since he came to be honest. I mean, Cech has hardly given us an Eldin Jakupovic versus Arsenal performance has he? He seems easy to beat with ground balls to his far side. His kicking is average as well (my opinion). However, I think it’ll take much more for Ospina to upstage Cech.
Cech all the way. But against basel i wouldn’t mind seeing ospina playing again, he’s earned it. I think OX should never be played on either flanks again but because we loaned out campbell now we’re stuck with him. Sanchez should play on the left, ALWAYS! AND perez/og rotated through the middle
Ospina, no, not after one performance. Nor after everything I know about the two of them. Cech has a calming influence, he speaks to his defenders. We usually look a bit more erratic at the back when Ospina plays, especially with teams who are good with set pieces.
How about maybe Holding, is there reason enough to bring him back in. He makes things look simple, and his positioning is top class. From what we’ve seen so far, Kos and Holding have a good chemistry. Not to write Mustafi off or anything, some partnerships will take time, esp when there’s huge pressure on it.
How long have you been an arsenal supporter, only one game?
What about the 2014/15 season when he ousted szez half way through. Awesome stats best in PL by a long way, for example 0.61 goals per game.
Phenomenal performances for columbia. He is getting a lot of votes because of this, not one game.
Please ignore first paragraph above, reading it again it does not make much sense.
Cech gets the nod over Ospina because of his experience both in the premier league and champions league. He had a rough start with the game against liverpool but goalkeepers tend to get the blame when things go wrong. Ospina had a great champions league game against PSG but in the past has been slated for making the odd mistake, maybe now he has renewed his focus and concentration and will be worth starting. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
I choose ospina because cech have been inconsistent for my liking with some school boy error.. ospina should play ucl matches and against top4 opposition in the league Because the matches are continental style which depends on buildup play rather than set pieces and directness.. cech is better suited for mid to bottom of the table opponents due to his aerial pro
@twig, cech has an average kick?
Is this the same keep per were on about?? The guys got a monster kick it’s one of key qualities.
Cech is way ahead of Ospina but they are both very good and brilliant stoppers. which is why Wenger is right to play Cech in League games while Ospina plays in Cup games including UCL.
it’s same thing Ancelotti did with Casillas-D.Lopez
Barcelona(Enrique) with TerStegen-Bravo
For me, Cech has a problem with distribution. He is not horrible, but he constantly wants to kick the ball medium-long and high and this often simply gives the opponents equal chance to win the ball.
I have never understood why he does not mix things up more to keep opponents guessing. He continually opts for the same ultra safe kick instead of really trying for variety and great distribution. He is very much programmed.
I think it’s because of quick breaks. If you want us to get a lucky bounce and break from somewhere, where would it be, midfield of course. The longer you go with kicks is just giving the ball back to the opposition, keeper or defenders will usually claim it unless you go wide.
What a fickle bunch we, Arsenal fans, are. One decent game (which should’ve ended 5-1 to PSG, no thanks to Ospina by the way but mostly Cavani and Co.) and all of a sudden Ospina is our starter? Almunia too had his moments of brilliance. Just saying…
Look back at ospinas 2014/15 season for us, that is what fans are basing it on, not this last game.
You mean the one where our Koz/Mert defensive combo was rock solid? Yeah, I remember it well.
Yes, thats the one. When Szczeny was in goal we conceded 1.26 goals per game over 17 games. When ospina was in goal it was 0.61 goals per game over 18 games. The defense was rock solid when ospina was in goal, much better than manu, manc and chelsea. When szczer was in goal the defense was much worse than manu, manc and chelsea.
Back 4 tends to look notably more assured when Cech is in net- perhaps due to his organisation, communication & presence.