Mikel Arteta will return for next season with a serious goalkeeping dilemma on his hands after Emiliano Martinez impressed greatly as the stand in goalkeeper for the Gunners.
Bernd Leno has been the club’s first choice since Petr Cech retired, and the German remains one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
On so many occasions, he has been the club’s saving grace. His showings were so good that no one thought that we needed a capable deputy.
This is why when he got injured against Brighton, fans feared for the worse.
Emiliano Martinez stepped in and proved all his doubters wrong with a string of fine performances for the club.
He even helped us to win the FA Cup, but when Leno returns, Martinez is expected to become the club’s second choice again.
If we are to be honest with ourselves, we will agree that Martinez is too good not to be playing regularly.
The Argentinean has proven his worth in the few games that he has played for us, and he recently said the inevitable when he claimed that there are several teams looking to sign him as their first choice.
I know that we will hate to hear that because now that we have seen how good he is, he just has to remain our player.
However, it will be unfair for us to keep him back as a cover for Leno again.
He is just too good to be our second choice, and I think that we have to either keep him and sell Leno or sell him and keep Leno.
Now is his time to soar, we cannot hold him back.
Let’s just do what we did before Leno for the EPL and Martinez for Europe,FACup and Carabao cup
Or the other way around because of Leno’s injury
👍
you can only do it for 1 season….
Martinez will eventually leave for regular football
Gk warming the bench too long is not a good thing…….they can get rusty
In Fifa20 or fantasy football….this will not be an issue……you can bench a gk for 20 seasons without any complains
Well. Although the injury is not Leno’s fault, the fair thing would be to keep playing Martinez till he messes up and Leno get’s his chance again. This is competition.
Martinez should STFU and fight for his place next season. Fine he was subliminal, cut the crap with warning that he’ll leave if he doesn’t play. He’ll always play, Arteta rotates between cup and league, or is he actually expecting that he stays number 1 and Leno sit?
I know a lot of you will come for my head and I accept yes I’m being too blunt and perhaps hard on Martinez but there’s a reason some goalkeepers are seen as number one.
Ask Te Stegen when he thought he deserves to be Germany’s number one and who stayed number one.
Let’s not kid ourselves, we’ll be losing Leno soon to Bayern.
All it takes is foresight, Neuer would be too old to go on soon, Bayern as usual would prefer a German keeper. Who fits the bill other than Bernd Leno?
We know how Bayern pull these stuff.
Martinez should fight next season, he’ll get the chance, and Leno will get his chance, the better goalkeeper should be number one.
I’m tired of players threatening the club or coach. I love him, but he shouldn’t let the praises get to his head
Unfortunately, Eddie his time in waiting since the days of Wolciech Szczesny has finally bubbled to to top in shear frustration.
A good problem for Arteta to have when Leno returns, 2 competent goal keepers. Now let’s worry about midfield and defense.
Eddie that is not fair to Martinez, he has Evey right to say anything, he has been in this club for 10 good years, he has one year left on his contract and he’s 27, so if Martinez happens to be your brother, would you tell him to still sign a new contract and still be number 2?
Yes he does have right to say anything but he hasn’t been saying anything before those performance he put in when he had the chance. Which means he was fine with being on the bench and collect his pay. With all the storms ( the pay cut issue, Guen saga, the 55 redundancy, Ozil’s problem, Pepe’s contract revelations and Raul’s departure) going with the club recently, I won’t tolerate or accept any of our player giving press another outlet to write negatively and put pressure on the club.
Oh Lenohappy just because he had an amazing quarter run till the season’s end, he can start dictating who starts?
If he was my brother? I’d tell him “you’ve seen Arteta give everyone the chance, stay and show him next season that you really want this. Fight will Leno on this, seal your spot and own it.” not threatening to leave after a decent half season.
We have enough drama at the club already, not another goalkeeper making threats right now.
It’s not needed. If he can’t fight with Leno for the spot, sell him out so he can go be happy.
I’m not disrespecting his abilities, but I won’t disrespect Leno’s either. Both should fight for it like I already said
Bayern can’t bid for Leno? Are you kidding me? Since early 2019 Bayern identified Leno as Neuer’s replacement and their target.
I can recall a lot of people on here complaining about Bayern Coming to steal another player of ours again.
I aint gon say too much, wait for it
Don’t kid yourself.
Bayern can do better than Leno.
Bayern will want want one of the top 5 GKs in the world and Leno, while excellent, doesn’t fit the bill…
Emi is now our no.1 GK. He has been the best GK in the Prem since the restart, which Leno, while close, wasn’t.
It’s Leno’s job to fight for the no. 1 spot now (unless one of them is sold, which is not unlikely).
Lol why would Bayern go for Leno, they didn’t go for him when he was playing there, Leno is not even the best keeper in the league, he’s not even in the top3. Personally if arsenal cannot guarantee Martinez the number 1 spot, he should move, he has been a great servant to the club and unlike some people I will support him. We were doing well in the Europa league until arteta decided to use Leno against olympiacos. For me Martinez should be number 1 at least till he start commiting errors. How do you want to challenge for the league with a keeper that cant deal with crosses and set pieces, any keeper can save a long shot, fabianski is well known to be a good shot stopper, even ospina is a good shot stopper and he’s also good in one on one situation but when the crosses starts coming in, you need your keeper to make himself big and that’s exactly what Martinez has over Leno for me, with Leno am always scared even with his playing out of the back but with Martinez it’s different.
Very true Leno is poor on crosses like Dracula he did not like crosses either
Eddie, I enjoy your view on everything Arsenal. You always put your emotions in check and say things as it is. Martinez should shut up and give the coach more reason to pick ahead of Leno. If he has shown earlier that he is potential number 1, we wouldn’t have spent 22m on Leno.
I’m with Eddie here. We don’t need to decide who’s number one or number 2 before a ball is kicked. We just have goal keepers. If the coach asks you to start, you start and prove to him why you should play the next game. In the training sessions, grab everything and prove to the coach that you are the best there is . You don’t have to give ultimatums, I’m sure the coach saw what you offered , and won’t just shunt you over back to the bench simply because Leno came back. Leno returns, he should fight for his place like everyone else.
I definitely agree with the above statement; Martinez shouldn’t let the praise get in to his head. He shouldn’t discussing these matters on the media in the 1st place. He must fight for the Jersey like everybody else. Arteta is a fair coach if he deserved to play he will get his chance. In football you are good as your last game. What guarantee him that where he goes he would be number 1. He really lacks maturity I’m disappointed with him because he was definitely doing well. He must let his performance speak for him but not going around making interviews. Leno was doing well until he got injured which can happen to anyone.
Off topic: what with the sacking of Raul dose anyone think Arsen might come in in his place?
NO!!!
There will be no decision at the start, its Emi who has the shirt. When Leno is fit it is up to him to win it back. Thats good football policy and thats how you create competition and a better player. Arteta will want to keep both and have healthy contest.
For me, if a very good offer comes for Emi (25m and above) I would say sell him and get a decent, cheaper goalkeeper as Leno’s backup.
Invest the substantial change in strengthening other areas.
No point keeping two world class keepers. They don’t get injured every day.
*Under Raul Sanhelli:*
🟣Publicly declares players of value will not leave Arsenal for free
🟣Agreement to sign Arteta in place. Last minute decision to rather goes for Emery based on agent Arturo Canales suggestion
🟣Gazidis leaves for AC Milan ownership
🟣Assumption of Head of Football role with Vinkatessham promoted to Head of commercial. (Marginlizing Sven Mislintat to scouting)
🟣Signing of 35 year old Lichsteiner, who is unable to play until Christmas even.
🟣Ramsey leaves arsenal for free
🟣Sven Mislintat (Head of recruitment) leaves. Accuses Sanllehi of neglecting data-based recruitment. Edu is hired as a Technical Director replacement.
🟣Signing of injured Dennis Suarez on loan for 6 months for 4m pounds Mislintat warned against this player). Plays 2 games and leaves
🟣Laurent Koscielny, club captain, suddenly ups and leaves the club at the cost of his reputation. Cites failed promises from the board which is led by Sanllehi
🟣Orchestrates Nicolas Pépé deal over multi-layered structure and including 3rd party payments. Jorgé Mendez involved guaranteed big money
🟣Signs David Luiz (Kia Joraabchain player) for 1 year at a total cost of 24m pounds
🟣Initiates measures to extend Emery’s contract at Arsenal
🟣Firing of Darren Burgess, Head of High Performance, under who most of the soft muscle injuries were drastically reduced since 2017
🟣Release of statement describing fan concerns with Emery’s performance as *”Noise”*
🟣Head of Stats DNA leaves. Repeats Mislintat’s accusation
🟣Sacking of Emery just after the close of international break window instead of 2 weeks before, when there was an open international window to bed in the new coach with the players and a chance to save top 4.
🟣Gary Discole, World renowned Head of Sport Medicine, decides to leave and makes an agreement with Liverpool. Arteta arrives and quells that move
🟣Signing of Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares on 6 month loan with offer to buy. Both players were already injured during the signing (gyimie!) This invoolved Mari travelling to London, then back to Brazil and then back to London on Arsenal resources, while arsenal staff were in Brazil to close the deal
🟣Uses media releases to pressurize arsenal players into taking 12.5% wage cut with the condition that other staff will not lose their jobs
🟣Sir Chips Keswick leaves the club as chairman, citing the lack of control on Arsenal day-today running. (Not replaced)
🟣Permanent signings of Soares and Mari (Kia Jorrabchian players) after restart, total minutes played together, 26… (gyimiee!)
🟣Sacking of Francis Cagigao Head of Scouting and other notable scouts who brought the likes of Cazorla, Fabregas, Bellerin, Martinelli to Arsenal)
🟣Further sacking of the entire scouting team in France, Germany, Italy and Spain
🟣Sacking of 55 club employees 3 days after FA cup win, even though players took a pay-cut to prevent that.
🟣Signing of 32-year old Willian (Kia Joaabchian player) on a 3 year deal
🟣Investigation into Pépé deal by Kroenke-hired staff
🟣Sacking of Raul Sanllehi
All in less than 3 years!
See my comments on the Tony Adams article in response to ken1945.
the fans got what they wish for……
the fans should get 3billion and pay Kronke id they want full control
John, at least Kroenke is now acting like a responsible owner and intervening to make his Board and executives accountable. Now KSM has to make future personnel decisions and appoint competent people to replace Sanheili and others.
Ozziegunner
I’ve pointed out in the past that senior executives at Liverpool are partly made up with lifelong Liverpool supporters. They have a vested interest in the success of the club and not just as a career. It is notable that Tim Clarke is an Arsenal man.
You’re right, Tim Lewis is a lifelong gooner…. we need more of his sort… rumours of DO’L returning….
Oops
I know a Tim Clarke, I should have said Lewis
SueP, thanks for straightening that out, the “Clarke” had me confused. 🤔👍
Good article on Arseblog this morning
Thanks for this detailed history. Not happy reading, but the future starts now.
Give Matt Macey a chance
If the inevitable happens and we have a shortage of keepers then just get a free agent to be third choice. Joe Hart? 😀
👍 Matt Macey is a good keeper and shouldn’t be discounted.
OT. Chelsea to pay 64m for Chilwell?!!
😳
I will say Leno should play home games then Martinez for away games
13 days till the community shield….
Short break! when are the players back for training?I think that voting against the 5 subs for another season was a mistake,I am sure we’ll see more injuries Sue!
22 August, I believe Siamois.. although Holding and Willock have been at Colney for a couple of sessions already.. 👍
Yes, the dreaded injury list… ours always seems to be longer than most 😬
Martinez will obviously start as No.1 because Leno is injured and won’t be available for the start of the season.
When Leno is fit, then the fun will begin.
The transfer window extends into October this year, so there’s no rush, but AFC can’t afford to ignore the money they might get for either Leno or Martinez. They should listen to offers and sell one of them if the price is right. Emi has earned the right to play as a #1, either here or somewhere else, and Leno has too.
What would Leno bring in trade/sale? I have the feeling that he would bring considerably more than Martinez. Would Bayern pay high for him to prevent another German club getting him? Would another German club pay high to keep him from Bayern? How expensive would a good back-up be? What is Martinez’s injury profile?
It’s a luxury to have two excellent goalkeepers. I like them both. But Martinez’s ability with his feet suits Arteta’s style of playing out from the back. And I love the way he steps up to grab crosses, and his firmness in holding the ball without a rebound. He gives a particular feeling of solidity back there. And perhaps his passion matches Arteta’s concept of team culture.
I hate to hear him complain — we get enough of that from others — but ambition is a good thing.
Arsenal should cash in on one of the two keepers and buy a cheap experienced back up for the other.. we have two starters.. it is not a problem we just have to cash in on one of them and reinvest in the squad.. they are both worth well over 50m.. if Chelsea paid 72m for Kepa we should be getting more but I’ll say 50m.
For me Martinez all the way. He exudes more confidence for my taste.
Leno is better with his feet but our weak points: corners, free kicks, and aerial attacks are dealt with much more authoritatively by Martinez.
Yes, a very tough decision to make on the two ball stoppers. I just Arteter will be wise enough to keep both by alternating them. Anything can happen again in the course compeptions ahead.
Please, do not sell any of them. They both are very very good.