David Luiz has backed Bernd Leno after the goalkeeper’s howler gifted Rapid Wien the first goal in Arsenal’s Europa League game on Thursday.
The German was preferred to Emiliano Martinez at the start of the season and the latter was sold to Aston Villa.
Pressure has increased on Leno to prove that he is the right choice after the club sacrificed the impressive Martinez to keep him.
He didn’t help himself with the error against Wien, but Luiz claims that the 29-year-old is a great goalkeeper who helps them in their philosophy of playing from the back.
He claims that he has been doing that very well for a long time and that this one mistake cannot discount for the great job the goalie does.
‘I think Bernd is amazing,’ he said as quoted by the Mail Online.
‘It is part of our philosophy to build from the back, this is a normal thing.
‘You always play to eliminate players from the beginning when you build, then it is going to be much easier for the strikers.
‘So, if you count how many times did it go well? But just one he did wrong and this is part of our philosophy.
‘He is great and he gives us the opportunity to play from the back and try to help us.’
Leno will be happy that Luiz and Aubameyang scored to spare his blushes in the game as the Gunners came from a goal down to beat their host 2-1.
