When Wojciech Szczesny first burst onto the scene in 2011, it appeared as though Arsenal had found their next long-term goalkeeper. But six years on, the Pole is on loan at Serie A side AS Roma and while he has done reasonably well with the Italian giants, every Arsenal fan would know that he cannot fully be trusted between the sticks, especially in the English game where pace and physicality is at the highest level.
Amidst all the confusion with Szczesny, Arsenal signed Petr Cech from Chelsea as the club’s undisputed Number 1. But two seasons on, the Czech international has been average at best. While he certainly hasn’t been woeful, he hasn’t really been extraordinary either. He makes saves you would expect him to make but for someone who came in with the hype of being the solution for Arsenal’s goalkeeping problems, he hasn’t really steadied the ship in a way that was expected of him.
And then, there is David Ospina. Despite having a handful of impressive performances, a lack of consistency and some misfortune with injuries have significantly derailed the Colombian’s Arsenal career. It appears the former Nice star is desperate for first-team football and with Fenerbahce keen on taking him to Turkey, there is every possibility of his departure this summer. Finally, we have young Emiliano Martinez. While the Argentine has impressed this season, it is perhaps too early to take a call on his future credentials.
So with that being said, I really believe Arsenal need a new keeper. As we can see with Chelsea and Spurs, a lot of their success this season has to do with Thibaut Courtois and Hugo Lloris having outstanding campaigns. While Petr Cech hasn’t really done a bad job either, I believe a good goalkeeper should be able to save his team at least ten points a season, and the former Chelsea man simply has not done that. However, I do not see Arsene Wenger signing a new custodian this season. Le Prof is probably going to sell Ospina, continue with Cech as his Number 1 and bring back Wojciech Szczesny as back-up.
Anurag