Burnley preview: gunned and ready

Hi everyone.

We face Burnley away in what will be our last league game in two weeks, because, as you may well remember, we miss the next BPL clash due to the involvement in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. A nice reason to miss a league match.

Truth be told, I was a little baffled to see a cup game take place on the weekend, something that will wreak havoc with our timetable by forcing us to skip a league game, but then I think all big games in the cups are played on either Saturday or Sunday (or even Monday, if BBC airs it). I distinctly recall we faced Everton on the weekend in the quarters last year, so I guess it’s not that surprising after all.

Anyway, back to the task at hand and we have an almost fit squad to take on Burnley.

Team news update

Diaby, Arteta and Wilshere should all be available:

“They came through the game on Tuesday well. They were at a good level physically and they should all be available from now on until the end of the season hopefully.”

As should Debuchy:

“Debuchy is alright. I can only play three players over 21 [in the under-21 league] so he is physically fit and ready. He lacks a bit of a competitive edge but overall he has no medical problems.”

However, Oxlade is still unavailable for “at least two more weeks”, while Szczesny and Koscielny face late fitness tests. No word was said on Ramsey, so I’m presuming the Welshman is ready to play.

Whichever way you look at our current injury situation, this is a monumental achievement compared to last season. Should everyone come through the game unscathed (fingers crossed), Oxlade will remain the only player sidelined when we face Reading in the cup.

The new challenge will be to keep everyone happy, but that’s a pleasant headache for Arsene to have. With all the bits sorted out, time to put together a likely squad.

Defense

It was interesting to hear Arsene say he could only play three guys over 21 in the game against Stoke. It means he probably would have played Debuchy had the restrictions not been so harsh.

Does that mean Debuchy is not yet ready to start games? I'd say yes. So I'd give the Frenchman another week or two and play Bellerin in the meantime. The Spaniard has been phenomenal as of late, so much so I'm really interested to see how things unfold once his French counterpart is fully fit.

Monreal should get the nod to start on the left, but who should do likewise in central defense? With doubts over Koscielny's fitness the best decision for everybody concerned would probably be to rest him and play Gabriel.

Then again, changing a winning formula is hard and we all know how Wenger doesn't like to shuffle his team and the back four in particular, although he has become more lenient in this regard lately.

Finally there's a simple consideration for the future: Mertesacker is in the later stages of his career, so playing Gabriel together with Koscielny as often as possible during the run-in should also be on Arsene's mind.

I'd personally go with a back four of Bellerin, Mert, Gabriel and Monreal, but, as I've illustrated above, there's no telling what Arsene might do. Good thing is, he has options.

Midfield

Gosh, we have EVERYONE available here. It's definitely the first time this season, question is when we last had all the midfielders at our disposal.

And so that means another selection headache for Wenger. I think Arteta and Wilshere aren't still at the fitness level required, however I have no doubt they will make the bench. In the longer run, it's interesting to see what the future holds for both of them.

They don't look like regular starters at the moment, not for me at least. That's despite Arteta being our captain and Jack being vital in the first half of the campaign. While with Arteta things look pretty straightforward (he signs a one-year extension and stays as experienced backup to Coq), the picture is not that clear with Wilshere. You can read more on the subject here.

However, even with Arteta and Jack in the category of "unlikely starters", Arsene still has plenty of options in midfield, seeing as Danny Welbeck is eligible once again and I don't even exclude a start for Theo Walcott.

Moreover, I think Ramsey on the right was a one-off, a stroke of genius from Wenger dictated by the opposition. Rambo was shifted wide to pressurise Moreno and Sakho (with more than a little help from Hector Bellerin) and it worked. I cannot, however, picture Aaron on the right on a permanent basis. His talents are better utilised in the middle of the park.

That means one of Ozil or Cazorla won't avoid the drop (unless we drop Ramsey himself). Personally, I'd go with Coquelin, Ramsey and Ozil. You know I prefer Ozil to Cazorla under the striker, and when it comes to balance, Ramsey provides us with more than the Spaniard. But again, that's only my view, I cannot tell what Arsene has in mind.

Attack

Giroud and Sanchez, obviously, both are on fire right now, but who will complement the trio on the right? Oxlade is the go-to guy under normal circumstances, in his absence we have: Welbeck, Walcott and one of our central midfielders.

The least obvious choice is the last: who do we shift out wide? Rambo was an exception as I've stated above, Cazorla was played in central midfield even with a fully-fit Ramsey and Ozil and the German himself only played wide right after his recovery. When it became obvious Ozil is excellent at 10 Wenger was, understandably reluctant to remove Ozil from there.

Then Walcott? To my mind playing Walcott means pairing him with a more conservative full-back: Chambers or Debuchy, in our case. Dropping an in-form Bellerin for the former will look kind of stupid, while playing Debuchy and Walcott is risky both because they haven't played together ever before and because the Frenchman isn't yet at 100%.

That leaves us with Welbeck and I'm perfectly fine with this option. Danny has pace, he helps Bellerin out a great deal and his inclusion means having an extra forward on the pitch.

The verdict

For the first time this season I find the job of predicting a likely XI that hard. Apart from Ospina, Monreal, Coquelin, Ozil, Giroud and Sanchez, I'm not sure about anyone. Whether they will be involved, to what extent etc.

And that's exciting. I wish I had such a headache every week. Much better than knowing you have around 18 players available and guessing everyone right simply because there are no real options. This time around the depth of our squad is such that even without Koscielny and Oxlade (worst-case scenario), we'll still have to drop one defender and a couple of midfielders. Not any forwards yet, but we are getting there.

Looking at the players at our disposal you can't help but think we are the overwhelming favourites to win this one. The confidence is flowing through the team, we found our cohesion, we got almost everyone back on their feet and we thrashed Liverpool to cap it all off. We should be too much for Burnley.

However, this doesn't mean the players can take the game lightly. Burnley are a Premier League team, one fighting to stay up and they are perfectly capable of producing shock results (just ask City and Chelsea).

The right attitude is all-important. After that, we have enough quality to get the job done.

So come on you Gunners.

Back with a review

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

What do you do when someone holds a gun to your head?

"I don't need an agent, because I will never leave Arsenal".

This quote by Jack Wilshere has become iconic. It almost reaches the heights of Adams's “Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they’ll remember the name on the back.”

Back to Wilshere and this quote epitomises why I love Jack so much. With devotion and loyalty hard to come by in modern football, this phrase by Jack is a rarity in itself. But that's not the reason I brought the quote up.

Rather, I'm in doubt whether this phrase is applicable to Theo Walcott. We've bought him nine years ago (can you believe it?) from Southampton and I still remember Theo's smiling face as he held the shirt and stood next to a no-less smily Wenger. Wenger with fewer grey hairs.

However, I cannot recall Theo saying something along the lines of Jack's phrase. Has he ever demonstrated this kind of devotion?

The freshest wound he inflicted upon the Arsenal's faithful still hurts. Theo did it 2,5 years ago, when negotiating a new deal. He knew he was of utmost importance to Arsenal. It was the season when van Persie left for United. We had no Ozil back then, and certainly no Sanchez or Welbeck. Oxlade was swinging in and out of hospital. We were trying to crack the usual enigma of getting into the top four. Cazorla was our only real number 10. Giroud was still adapting, Poldi had already become a professional sub.

Wenger handled the situation in as dignified way as possible under the circumstances. Despite us needing Theo and his goals, the Englishman only appeared from the bench for the first half of the season. But he knew he was in a privileged position. He knew we needed him more than he needed us. Especially after RvP left.

And Theo got his way. He got the 100k per-week salary. He got to play as a striker, though, thankfully, not for long. What really drove me up a wall is that the Englishman even negotiated a one-off £3 million sign-on bonus. At a time we were still paying off the stadium debt.

This whole thing hurt a lot at the time. But I, among other Arsenal fans, got on with it. However, I didn't forget what Theo did, why he did it and at what time he did it. It was like Walcott was holding Arsenal at gunpoint. And we had little choice but to give in.

They say that when the going gets rough, people show their true colours. If you want to know what a certain man is made of, give him the power over you and see what he does. And I didn't like what I've seen from Theo.

Fast-forward 2,5 years and what do we have? That's right ladies and gentlemen, we have Theo's contract which is due to expire in a little over a year. And what does Theo want? Right again, bigger wages. Only this time he's not our only winger or goalscorer. He's not even a guaranteed starter anymore. Oh how the tables have turned.

Do I sound ironic about the whole situation? Bitter? Disproving? Well that's because I'm all these things right now. And I'm certain I'm not alone:

“The first contacts have been established with the embassy. We will see how that progresses politically. Walcott was difficult to convince [last time] and that is why it took us much time. We started very early with him but it was slow progress. He is very quick on the pitch but off the pitch, not always.”

Have you ever heard Arsene sound as sarcastic about such a delicate matter in public? I know I haven't. And I understand the man completely. Unlike Theo, Wenger makes the impression of a man truly dedicated to his cause.

Most importantly, however, Theo doesn't hold the cards anymore. He wants bigger wages? Way I see it, he doesn't deserve them. What exactly has he shown after signing the new deal 30 months ago? His form slumped for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season, he was in and out of hospital from August till November in 2013-2014 and, after demonstrating a flash of form in December, did his cruciate knee ligament in January 2014. The injury kept Theo sidelined for a year and, upon returning, he found we were no longer over-reliant on him. In fact, we are no longer reliant on him at all. Despite shipping out Campbell, Poldi and Akpom on loan, Theo still performs the role of the sub. And, frankly, our best XI doesn't include Walcott at the moment.

Is he competing for a place in the team with the Ox? Then it's a lost battle, because Alex is a much better all-round player. His finishing is still far from perfect, but his overall involvement and output far outweighs his finishing. He takes players on, he terrorises defenders off the ball, he hugs the byline, he helps Bellerin out a great deal.

Then it's Alexis Theo tries to displace? Looks that way. Sanchez, much like Walcott, relies on his positioning and finishing when the Chilean gets into dangerous areas. Thing is, Alexis is a much better finisher, while also contributing in other areas of the field. No one in their right mind will bench Alexis to field Theo.

And look at what Wenger said recently:

"When you have the ball in the modern game you have to attack, when you don't have the ball you have to defend. All the players who can't do that, cannot play."

He's basically thrown down the gaunlet to Theo. Either you improve your all-round game, or you don't play. You want to play, fight, improve, show you are worth starting games. Arsene basically said: "You are no use to us if you don't play. What talk can there be of higher wages if you don't contribute on the pitch?"

The ball is now firmly in Theo's court. If he wants to stay, he has to swallow his ego, pick up his already big wages and fight. If he just wants bigger wages, then the door is open for him. Hell, I'll even hold it for Theo. And I won't chastise Wenger should Theo leave in the summer. I'll only do that if no replacement comes in.

I'll finish it with another Tony Adams quote:

“I will sign every contract Arsenal put in front of me without reading it.”

Not Theo's case.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Liverpool review: one for all and all 4-1

When going into the game, I honestly didn't expect for Arsenal to pull off something like that. It has nothing to do with lack of belief: I always believe we can beat the opposition, whatever the circumstances. Rather, I knew it was make-or-break for Liverpool: a loss would basically mean they finish outside the top four. With Sturridge, Sterling and Co(utinho) available, I was fully prepared for a tough ride, maybe dropped points.

What I saw on the pitch stunned me. For the first fifteen minutes we just dominated the Mugmashers. We created at least two brilliant chances inside this period, but were denied by some top goalkeeping from Mignolet. For the time being.

However, I do not want this article to become another minute-by-minute review. There's an abundance of these out already, so I decided I'll tackle mine differently. Whilst acknowledging it was an outstanding collective effort from Arsenal (so much so, I wanted to give my vote to all three contenders for MoM), I thought I'd rather go over individual players. Not because they stood out among the others, purely because their respective contributions should put an end to some of the wild assumptions circling the web. So here goes.

David Ospina

I've said it countless times already and I'll say it again: I love the way the Colombian plays. He's the calm before the storm, during the storm and after the storm.

And I can't stress the importance of this particular quality enough. Having a dead-calm goalkeeper behind helps the defenders psychologically a lot.

That's why I can't understand how after the game some a) levelled criticism at David for not saving the penalty b) remained convinced Szczesny is the better goalkeeper.

Regarding the first point, I'd say Henderson produced a good shot. Very low and very close to the post, even if not particularly powerful. Ospina guessed the corner, but honestly, it's a penalty. Had he not guessed it right, would you still blame him?

As for the second, I can agree Szczesny is capable of stunning saves which can mean we get the points, but again I wouldn't prefer him to the Colombian. Chezza is far from being either stable or calm, so he's not the number 1 for me.

Per Mertesacker

I was surprised at the German's inclusion. Not because he's a bad defender, far from it, rather because we opted to adopt a high-octane pressing approach.

It's not quite Per's game, but there was another surprise in store for me. It was the German pressing high up the pitch, not Koscielny, and our vice-captain was pretty damn good at it. He stuck in, won tackles, intercepted and, basically, sometimes played further upfield than Coquelin. We are in for a real fight between the German and Gabriel, ladies and gentlemen.

Hector Bellerin

"He’s one of the surprises of the season. He was at Watford on loan last year and didn’t get the games. He’s just 20 years old, if you look at what he does at 20 years of age… He played against a great player today in Sterling in the second half. Maybe he still has some experience to gain but defending one against one is good and going forward is good as well. He scored an important goal in a big game and that always shows that the guy has the mental quality to be there."

This game was game number 20 for Bellerin this season, 17th start. And boy did he grow during the season. He scored a vastly important goal, which allowed us to end the game as a contest in seven minutes. Hector also took his chance in style, showed a piece of individual skill.

Was it really a goalscoring opportunity, a clear-cut chance? No, Bellerin created the goal out of nothing. He took the ball, stepped inside the defender and curled a screamer inside the post with his left.

My guess is that, once fully-fit, Debuchy will be reinstated straight away, and, while it's probably the right decision to make, you still have to feel for Bellerin. He's been phenomenal and doesn't deserve the drop in the slightest. We'll see how this one pans out.

Aaron Ramsey

When the squads were announced I saw neither Walcott nor Welbeck on the teamsheet. And so I thought it would be either Ozil or Cazorla on the right. I have my reservations about both playing out wide. However, having seen Mata, a typical playmaker, destroy Moreno two weeks ago, I thought Cazorla or Ozil were primed to do exactly that. Like with Mertesacker, I was wrong again.

Instead, Aaron Ramsey played on the flank. And this, I think, can be explained by the approach we took. Without Oxlade, Ramsey provides the team with endless energy better than anyone. One can make the case for Rosicky here, but both the Czech and Rambo aren't natural wingers and so choosing Aaron over Thomas was the sensible decision.

And The Welsh Jesus walked on water. He and Bellerin terrorised Moreno the entire game while also putting  the central defenders under pressure. A brilliant move from Arsene. Unconventional, but no less remarkable for it. In the end, Ramsey bagged two assists and his second, preceded by a touch-and-turn, was a thing of beauty.

"Invisible" Ozil

Those who think Ozil disappeared need to watch the game again. Watch Ozil's off-the-ball movement. Then watch this video (link). If, having done all of the above, they remain of the opinion that Ozil got lost during the game, they need to slap themselves in the face repeatedly and quit watching football.

For everyone else, I don't need to say Ozil was brilliant. Coutinho is still sliding as I write this, Lukas and Can are trying to figure out how Ozil got past them (the latter is doing that in suspension) and Mignolet will have nightmares about that freekick. In a nutshell, I'm delighted Mesut Ozil is a Gunner.

"Beast" Alexis

"He worked very hard. He gave absolutely everything and had a great first half. Alexis is a guy who never gives up. I had a decision to make between him or Ozil and I subbed Ozil because I felt he was in danger of being injured. Alexis did fight very hard until the end."

And that's Alexis's main asset. He never gives up, never quits, never shies from responsibility, never hides. He keeps at it and it paid off against Liverpool. His goal was his only shot on target, but what a shot that was. A bouncing ball, outside the box, poof. Golazio. Apart from the goal the Chilean wasn't really noticeable, and I don't mind it in the slightest. He did his bit as usual and scored a beauty of a goal. Can't really ask for much else.

Olivier Giroud

As Can was sent off and we were passing the ball around at the back, content to let the clock tick away with the scoreline we had, a fellow Arsenal fan sitting beside me said: "I'm not leaving without Giroud's goal". Just as I was prepared to say " Then you'll probably stay here for a week", Giroud got the ball outside the box, rounded off Toure and let fly. 4-1 and my friend got to go home and Giroud bagged his 14th strike of the campaign and 18th overall. He's now tied with Sanchez in terms of BPL goals and just two behind in all competitions. Despite spending three months out of the game.

While folks were admiring Costa and Kane and whatnot, Giroud quietly evolved into the best striker in the league. I'm not overestimating. Look at the number of goals, then at their quality, then at the time the Frenchman spent sidelined and you'll have your answer.

The verdict

Nine above Liverpool and Spurs. Ten above Southampton. Second-placed (though City have a game in hand). Ten wins in eleven games. Red-hot Giroud, Sanchez, Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey etc. etc. Sound thrashing of Liverpool. What more can you wish for?

One last thing. When it became obvious we were going to win the game, Welbeck came on. Not Walcott. And so I think it's time to say cheerio to Theo. Sad really, but with Oxlade returning, I fear Walcott will not only find himself benched, he may find himself out of the squad altogether.

That's it for now.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Liverpool preview: vital game for both teams

Actual football returns as we take on Liverpool at the Emirates in what is probably the most important game during the run-in. Win, and we open a nine-point gap on the Mugmashers and maintain at least a seven-point one on Spurs and Southampton.

However, Liverpool is a dangerous team to play right now, exactly because of their position. Missing out on the top four hardly tops Liverpool's priority list and the game against us is the last chance to put their campaign back on track. If they lose, they'll most likely find themselves outside Champions League places come May.

Liverpool will have to fight tooth and nail, however, they'll do so without several players. Gerrard and Skrtel miss out due to suspension, Lovren is also likely to miss the game (though through injury), while there are question marks hanging over Sterling, Sturridge, Lallana and Lucas.

I'm pretty sure Sturridge, Sterling and Lallana will play and I find it disgusting. Not their involvement itself, but rather the way Liverpool covered up for them, so the trio wouldn't feature for the national team and get a nice long rest for the key game. If they really do play against us, I suggest FA investigate how these players were mortally ill to represent England, but were miraculously revived to face us a week later. Back to Arsenal, however.

Team news update

Debuchy, Arteta, Wilshere and Diaby all played against Brentford behind the closed doors (yes, Diaby!), though Arsene revealed most likely none of them will be involved on Saturday.

Which is completely understandable. Arteta and Wilshere didn't play since the end of November, throwing them at the deep end in a game of such magnitude is risky, to say the least. Debuchy could have perhaps played, he was out for a shorter period, but Arsene knows his players better. If they need another week or two, then be it. It's not like we don't have depth to compensate for their respective omissions.

Oxlade also remains sidelined, while Welbeck's participation is unclear. Wenger said the Englishman "has a little chance" to feature. So your guess here is as good as mine.

With all that more or less sorted out, time to put together a likely squad.

Defense

In Debuchy's absence Bellerin should continue to deputise at right-back, though if Arsene chooses to start Walcott further upfield, a start for Chambers is in order. And I won't rule out such a scenario.

Monreal will most likely be preferred to Gibbs once again, while I'd go with a Gabriel-Koscielny tandem in central defense. Whether it's Sterling or Sturridge up top for the Mugmashers, I wouldn't fancy Mertesacker's chances. He may start as he's vice-captain after all, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Midfield

I still remember what a make-shift midfield we had at Anfield: Flamini, Oxlade and Cazorla. And we paid the price for it. Cazorla desperately tried to hold onto the ball, the other two let him down time and again. It's understandable: Flamini is Flamini and Oxlade isn't a CM for now.

This time, however, we have options. I'd prefer to see Coquelin, Ramsey & Ozil started. Ramsey is in fine form, he's our best number 8 and he's forged a good understanding with Ozil.

However, I wonder whether Arsene will be itching to fit in Cazorla somewhere and not somewhere on the flank. Santi has been phenomenal in central midfield, though less so alongside Coquelin (or should I say Coquelin was less phenomenal in tandem with Cazorla?). I won't be really surprised if the Spaniard starts. But again, I think Ozil really ought to.

Attack

Not the least because I have a feeling neither the German, nor Santi will, or, indeed, should be shifted out wide. A side as dangerous as Liverpool might just use it to our detriment.

If Welbeck is fit, then he, Sanchez and Giroud should start. However, difficulties will arise if Welbeck doesn't make it.

Should we play Walcott in this case? After he had 14 touches for England in 55 minutes? Taking into account his contract situation?

I somehow get the feeling Theo will deliver on Saturday given the chance. So I'd start him (just not over Welbeck). He's also a better winger than our other options, like Santi or Ozil.

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Also, while we don't have this problem just yet, it's only a matter of a week or so before we do: squad depth. We have too many (can you believe it?) players for a starting XI and the bench. Some will have to miss out, maybe even as early as our next game. ClockEnd Italia speculates who that might be. Give it a read.

The verdict

Alright, I'm now going to try this reverse psychology thing: we are not going to win this game. And playing before our own fans and inside the Emirates (where we have only lost two league games in two seasons) isn't going to help us in the slightest.

Look at the situation in the table. We literally have nothing to fight for, while Liverpool are a whisker away from challenging for the title.

Whichever way you look at it, Liverpool is just too much quality for us. We won't be able to contain them, especially since we don't even have a full squad at our disposal. Not a chance in the world we can beat them.

Our recent form also isn't encouraging. Just look at how bad we were in the last ten league games and you'll know how this one is going to end. Liverpool, meanwhile, are cruising to victories all over the place. And them having some key players out is just a mastermind diversion from Rodgers. We all know these key players aren't actually the best, their replacements are. Brendan is just keeping it under wraps.

Phew, I've done my bit. And remember, if this reverse trick doesn't help, it's solely because some crazy Arsenal blogger out there not only thinks we can win this one, he also has enough stupidity to put it in writing. God knows there are fools aplenty around.

Back with a review.

And come on you Gunners.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

The battle for the №1 shirt

It's fair to say the goalkeeping situation is unstable right now. Just as it seemed Wojciech Szczesny established himself as a proper number 1 during the run-in in 2012-2013 season (even Ospina admitted he was initially brought in as back-up, an atrocious start of 2014-2015 campaign, discipline issues and a particularly feeble performance from the Pole resulted in Arsene dropping Woj. And we haven't looked back since. Ospina came in, provided us with his calming presence, stable performances and 7 clean sheets in 13 games. Wojciech, despite making three appearances in the FA Cup, did nothing to suggest he should be reinstated and is left to observe games from the bench, sulking more and more with every passing match. His position became so unprivileged, that rumours emerged he might leave us this summer and Cech might come in. Even if that does happen, however, would the Czech become our number 1? Does Ospina deserve to be dropped on the merit of his recent performances? I'd like to say "no" to both these questions.

The uncertainty of the situation is new to me and, maybe, to a healthy portion of other Arsenal supporters. And so this article won't be as much about our current situation (God knows it's been done to death already), rather, I'll look at our goalkeepers past and their respective places in ever-changing Arsenal sides. (In brackets I specify the time a goalkeeper was an actual №1, not his time at the Club).

Jens Lehmann (2003-2007)

I'm starting with the German because he was our number 1 when my journey as an Arsenal fan began. I didn't watch a lot of games back in 2004 (and this trend continued for the number of years after. You see, as a pupil, my notion of support hasn't yet reached the highs of watching every single game. I only started doing that roughly five years ago, maybe even four).

But I vividly remember the first game I saw: a 2-2 draw against Bolton, headed by Sam Allardyce back then, unless I'm much mistaken. Despite the fact we've let in two goals, I grew to like Lehmann from that moment on. And I was not alone.

I recall Lehmann having a rather lengthy lay-off due to injury, with Almunia deputising for the German for roughly ten games. Jens was greeted like a hero when he finally returned.

But my sharpest recollection of Lehmann as someone I admire even now was the 2005-2006 campaign. We wobbled heavily in the league, securing the fourth place in the last game (sounds familiar?), though we were brilliantly tenacious in the Champions League. I've seen Arsenal beat Real at the Barnabeu (with Henry's help), pummel Juventus at Highbury courtesy to goals from Fabregas and Henry and then scrape past Villarreal in the semis.

And who was the hero during the run that saw us wrack up ten clean sheets, six of them in playoffs? That's right, Jens Lehmann. Though this campaign will be remembered as another near miss, for me it was no less thrilling because of the man between the sticks.

Lehmann wasn't the best goalkeeper around. He wasn't even first-choice in the German national team, Kahn was. But Jens firmly believed he was the best and this belief was visible throughout his performances. He never hid from mistakes and his mere presence instilled confidence in even the most make-shift defences. He emanated the kind of composure our keepers lacked ever since.

Manuel Almunia (2007-2011)

Is it unfair that I will remember Manuel for the two goals he conceded in 2006 against Barcelona? It probably is. Arsene demonstrated enough faith in the Spaniard to drop Lehmann twice: in 2004-2005 for a short period of time and later for good in 2007-2008 season. However, I cannot recall any moments of brilliance from Almunia.

That doesn’t mean he was a bad goalkeeper. He was a decent one, but he found himself the victim of the circumstances. He had to hold the fort in what was arguably the darkest period in our recent history. Even Lehmann struggled in two seasons prior to his departure from the Club as the Invincible back four slowly but surely dissipated, what could we expect of Almunia?

Was the Spaniard in a position to do better than he did? It’s hard to say. I never thought Giroud would reach the heights he did when we initially signed him. Hark work and dedication paid off for the Frenchman. For me, Almunia will forever remain in Lehmann’s shadow and will mostly be remembered for his rushes of blood (more than just occasional) and nervous attitude.

Lukasz Fabianski (2007-2014)

Much like Manuel Almunia before him, Fabianski will mostly be remembered for being second-choice, only the elder Pole played second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny. Despite the fact Szczesny became our №1 only in 2011-2012 and Almunia was on his last legs for the entirety of 2010-2011 campaign, Fabianski failed to establish himself during that season. The window of opportunity he had was pretty narrow, truth be told, however, Fab had his chance.

There was a lot of talk about how brilliant Fabianski was in training, yet time and again he failed to convert his brilliance into on-pitch performances. I have no clear recollections of the Pole doing anything of note or, indeed, putting a run together in the starting XI before 2012-2013 campaign.

And you all remember how it went, right? We lost to Bayern 3-1 at home and Szczesny got sent off. Mere days after that we lost in the North London derby (it still hurts, that game was winnable. Spurs weren’t great, they just capitalized on Vermaelen’s and Woj’s poor performances). Szczesny was suspended in the return leg against Bayern and Fabianski started in goal.

And Lukasz produced a performance nothing short of brilliant. We won 2-0 at the Allianz, fending off Bayern for 80 minutes and Fabianski was the hero. He kept his place in the starting eleven in several consecutive games, but sustained yet another injury and firmly lost his place to Szczesny.

But I will remember (how many times have I used that word already?) Fabianski for his last season with us. Second to a brilliant Szczesny (who got the Golden Glove in the end), Lukasz produced a string of professional performances in the FA Cup as we defeated Tottenham 2-0, then Coventry 4-1, then Liverpool 2-1 and Everton 4-1, before we took on Wigan and, finally, Hull. Fabianski later confessed he told Arsene in December he would leave in the summer and yet Arsene played Fabianski in all FA Cup games, including the final. And boy did it pay off.

Wojciech Szczesny (2011-2014)

Almunia, Fabianski and him (to a lesser extent) have one nasty trait in common: all three have rushes of blood. None of them can exactly be called calm and that’s why I like Ospina very much (more on the Colombian anon).

However, Wojciech also has the makings of a great goalkeeper because of his cockiness. In this regard he strongly reminds me of Lehmann and you can’t fancy a guy who shares even a little something with Mad Jens.

Wojciech’s downfall is his discipline and his inconsistency. One season he’s too hot, the other he’s too cold. I guess it’s also down to his temperament, you just can’t be cocky and consistent at the same time, but look where it had led Woj. He’s second-choice, it doesn’t look like he’ll be reinstated anytime soon and Poland’s national coach has already stated Fabianski will be the №1. There are rumours afloat Szczesny will leave and you can’t say, looking at how things stand, that it will be a huge surprise.

David Ospina (2015-present)

Righto, though the sample is still small, I like what I’ve seen from the Colombian. I like it very much. If his performances could be likened to a girl, she would look like this:

The Colombian is the first goalkeeper since Lehmann (for me) that has well and truly instilled confidence in our defenders. Sure, he had most likely benefited from playing behind a stable back four (Bellerin-Mert-Kos-Monreal + Coquelin), a luxury Szczesny didn’t have, but he has, to my mind, demonstrated the qualities Szczesny lacks: calmness and consistency. And we all know how Arsene loves consistency.

The verdict

It’ll be interesting to see how things progress over the course of the last two months of the season and then in the summer. There are several scenarios I can see right now:

1. Ospina stays fit (don’t jinx it!), cements his place as №1. Szczesny leaves, Martinez gets a promotion and we buy a rookie goalkeeper or push someone like Huddart in the first team.
2. Ospina doesn’t stay fit. Szczesny returns, puts together a decent run and reclaims his spot. No one comes in during the summer, Martinez may leave.
3. Ospina doesn’t stay fit, Szczesny returns, does nothing of note or (which is infinitely worse) produces a series of below-par performances and we revisit point 1.

Alright, that’s it. Hope I gave you something to chew on.

Until later

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