Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny: From Brentford to Barcelona to Be Gunners' Saviour

Arsenal's supporters do not feel comfortable when the Gunners take on Stoke City because of their aerial bombardment which has lead to their team conceding goals. The win against Stoke on Wednesday highlighted the determination of the Gunners and Szczesny's performance vindicated the manager's decision in the summer. Arsene Wenger was urged by plenty of supporters to sign a new goalkeeper in order to provide more security at the back.

The Frenchman was content with the quality of his keepers and provided the chance to the error-prone Manuel Almunia at the start of the season. Though he had a strong start to the season, the horror show against West Bromwich Albion and the injury he sustained in that game provided the opportunity for the fringe goalkeepers Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny to make the place their own.

Though Fabianski has had a tough time at Arsenal, the manager has retained a lot of faith in the youngster and has provided the lad with a number of opportunities to show his quality. The Pole who has endured a lot of criticism was nervous in the first few games he started this season but he established himself as the first choice keeper with some very good performances most notably against Wolves, Manchester City and Everton.

Wenger's persistence with these two keepers left the other two keepers Szczesny and Mannone disappointed due to the lack of opportunities in the first team. Mannone has since moved to Hull City on loan while Szczesny remained with the club and started the season as the third choice goalkeeper. Manuel Almunia's injury provided him the opportunity to be the second choice keeper and he got opportunities in the League Cup.

Szczesny has been with the club since 2007 and despite not getting many opportunities at Arsenal, he was regarded as one of the brightest young prospects at the club. With the goalkeeping position a matter of constant discussion amongst critics and supporters, Szczesny was touted by many to be the no. 1 keeper in the future.

He was loaned out to Brentford in the last season and established himself as the first choice keeper for them with a string of superb performances. He was one of the most influential performers for the lower division side and was rightly praised by the then Brentford manager Andy Scott who suggested that he would not be out of place in the Premier League.

He returned to the club in order to stake a claim for the goalkeeping position and though he was promoted ahead of Vito Mannone, he was disappointed with the lack of opportunities due to the manager favoring the more experienced Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski. His disappointment led him to issue an ultimatum that he would not extend his contract beyond this year if he did not get enough opportunities.

He subsequently calmed down and signed a new long term contract to the relief of supporters who had belief that he could go on to be the first choice keeper. Fabianski had done very well this season and it was very unfortunate for him to be injured during warm-up for the game against Manchester City. He did play the match securing a clean sheet but the injury to his shoulder required surgery which ruled him out for the season.

Szczesny who had made his Premier League debut weeks earlier against Manchester United in front of a hostile crowd at Old Trafford was given the opportunity to start games on a regular basis. The Pole has since started many Premier League games and has not looked out of place in the Premiership. He has shown great reflexes and has ensured that Fabianski has not been missed by the Gunners.

The most impressive attribute about the youngster is his confidence in his abilities which is extremely important for being successful. The goalkeeper's huge frame and strength allows him to command his area which has greatly helped the Gunners in dealing with aerial bombardment as was the case against Stoke. The youngster seems undaunted by the task in front of him and it is clear that Wenger has a lot of faith in the keeper providing him opportunities despite the return of Almunia.

Arsenal goalkeepers generally come under greater scrutiny for mistakes than any other goalkeepers and it was imperative that Szczesny did not make errors in the first few games. However, his assured and dominating performances in the last few weeks has most people convinced that he is the Arsenal goalkeeper for the next decade.

Szczesny seems unfazed by the challenges in front of him as he showed in the game against Barcelona where he had to face the threat of the world's best strikers in Lionel Messi and David Villa. He made a couple of superb saves to keep Arsenal in the hunt and his anticipation was excellent throughout the game. Though he could not claim a clean-sheet, it was another assured performance by the youngster who has made the astonishing transition of Brentford to Barcelona within a year.

He will be between the sticks for the Carling Cup final which the Gunners hope to conquer to end their long wait for a trophy. Wembley and the Nou Camp awaits the Polish International who could be the answer to Arsenal's goalkeeping conundrum for the next decade.

This article is also featured on The Invincible Gunners, a blog on Arsenal and other football news

Arsenal Future Goalkeepers: Fabianski, Szczesny, Mannone and Wenger's Masterstoke

Arsenal were linked with a number of goalkeepers in the summer including the likes of Mark Schwarzer and Shay Given and most of the Arsenal supporters were let down by the manager Arsene Wenger's decision to not sign an experienced goalkeeper. The Arsenal manager installed the inconsistent Manuel Almunia as the first choice keeper at the start of the season.

Though he had few decent games, his horrendous performance against West Bromwich Albion cost Arsenal vital points in the Premiership and he has been injured since then. Lukasz Fabianski had a terrible time last season where he was responsible for a number of goals and a large section of the supporters wanted the Polish keeper to be sold during the summer.

Almunia's horrible performance and his injury provided Fabianski the chance to start games on a regular basis. Kieran Gibbs conceded a penalty against Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League and the Polish International saved it. It proved to be a turning point in his career as he has been excellent since then.

Lukasz Fabianski

Wenger has always maintained that Fabianski had the talent to be a world class keeper but until this season, it was hard to see why the manager backed him to the extent he did. Fabianski has grown in confidence and has been excellent in many games so far. Like any other goalkeeper in the league, he also makes the odd mistake (which is unfairly criticized by many) but he has had a consistent season and has been responsible in bringing stability to the defence.

He is still young and there are aspects he can improve on but he has shown that he is capable of being the first choice goalkeeper for the Gunners in the future. His confidence has been important for the Gunners and the defenders are relying on him to help them out when needed and there are signs that he is capable of commanding his back line though he has to improve his communication with the defenders and be more decisive.

He has won over many Arsenal supporters who doubted his potential and has been immense this season for the Gunners including some Man of the Match performances. However he has also been injured this season which would normally have presented the Gunners with a huge problem. Arsenal have not suffered despite the injuries to Fabianski and Almunia mainly due to the confident presence of Polish youngster Wojciech Szczesny.

Wojciech Szczesny

Szczesny had a impressive loan spell with Brentford in the Championship and he was determined to fight for his place in the Arsenal team this season. The tall goalkeeper was initially quoted to be unhappy with Arsenal and Wenger for not providing him enough opportunities in the three seasons he has been at the club.

But the Polish youngster was convinced by the experienced manager that he had a future at Arsenal and signed a long term contract with the club. He has subsequently made a number of appearances for the club and has shown that he is one of the brightest young prospects in world football. Szczesny made his Premier League debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford which is arguably the toughest fixture in the season for the Gunners and performed admirably under immense pressure in front of a hostile crowd.

He is a hugely confident lad who believes he must start games regularly which is the attitude that a player should have and his ambition will help him establish himself as the first choice goalkeeper in the future. He has got excellent reflexes, good command of the area and his huge frame enables him to be excellent in one-on-one situations. The Polish youngster has been compared with the legendary Manchester United keeper Peter Schmeichel and though there is a long way to go for him, he has the talent to be an extremely influential figure for the Gunners in the future.

Szczesny is only 20 and at times, he does make the odd error in judgement. The Poland International's distribution (especially from kicking) has to improve and he needs to work on his game but there is enough to suggest that he can be a top level keeper in the future. He is likely to push his senior compatriot for a place in the first team and should he maintain this consistency, there is every chance that he could start games regularly for the Gunners in the near future.

Vito Mannone and James Shea

Vito Mannone had some impressive moments for the Gunners last season but has slipped down the pecking order and has grown increasingly frustrated due to the lack of opportunities. He has been loaned out to Hull City and he has been good for them. Mannone was touted for big things after his sensational performance against Fulham last season but he has not had enough opportunities to show his quality for the club.
With Szczesny and Fabianski in excellent form, it is unlikely that Mannone will have a place on the bench in important games when the Polish duo is fit. The Italian youngster could leave the club at the end of the season if he is disillusioned with his situation with the club and though Wenger believes Mannone has a future with the club, Szczesny's promotion ahead of him and his performances for the Gunners has meant that he is likely to be ahead of him.

Arsenal's reserve keeper James Shea is another talented keeper at the club but he is still considerably inexperienced. It is likely that he will be loaned out to a Championship club in order to gain more experience in the future. Shea is highly rated but if Szczesny and Fabianski improve further, then the rest of the keepers could have a tough time breaking into the squad.

Wenger's Masterstroke was his decision to not sign another Keeper

It was widely rumored that Arsenal would sign a keeper in the summer but the French tactician did not spend the money required to acquire the services of a new keeper and provided the opportunity to the four keepers to establish their place in the team. Though Almunia failed yet again, Fabianski ha been provided with a run of games and has improved considerably. He has grown in confidence and has been excellent this season.

If a new keeper was signed, it is likely that Fabianski would never have fulfilled his potential and his confidence would be further shattered. Szczesny had only one year remaining on his contract in the summer and if another keeper was signed, there was a good possibility that he would quit the club. Arsene Wenger rates the Polish duo highly and could not afford to take the risk of losing the talented keepers in the future.

At present, Fabianski and Szczesny are embroiled in healthy competition for places and though Fabianski is currently the first choice keeper, he needs to perform at a high level to avoid being dislodged by his younger compatriot. Szczesny on the other hand will get his chances in the domestic Cup ties and will be the deputy to Fabianski in other competitions. If he continues to perform like this, it will be a hard decision for Wenger to make.

Vito Mannone has performed brilliantly at times for the club but the emergence of Szczesny has limited his chances of being the first choice keeper to a great extent which is why there is a good chance he could leave at the end of the season. For a club which did not have a single keeper good enough at the start, they have two excellent keepers in Fabianski and Szczesny who will battle it out for establishing their place in the first team on a regular basis.

Preview: Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Frank Lampard set to Start on Monday

Arsenal and Chelsea meet on Monday in an extremely important match in the context of their respective title challenges and both sides will look to earn the three points and stay close to leaders Manchester United. The Gunners were beaten by two goals to nil by the Blues at Stamford Bridge but a number of things have changed since then.

Chelsea have suffered a remarkable slump which has led to them squandering a healthy lead at the top of the table and are currently fourth in the table. They have suffered greatly due to the injuries to key players like John Terry and Frank Lampard and they have lost a lot of their confidence.

However, it has not been smooth sailing for the Gunners as well as they have been very inconsistent losing at home to Newcastle United and Tottenham since then. Arsenal have a poor record against Chelsea in the recent past and will look to set the record straight at the Emirates on Monday night.

With Manchester United playing on Sunday against Sunderland, the gap could be widened by the time their top two contenders for the Premiership meet. Arsenal and Chelsea will look to be at their best to earn a vital three points which could prove crucial in the context of the title race.

Key Player for Arsenal:

Samir Nasri has been the best player of the season for the Gunners and needs to step up in this crucial encounter. Despite the return to fitness of Cesc Fabregas, Nasri remains the key player for Arsenal and could be the one who could earn them a vital three points at the Emirates.

Key Player for Chelsea:

Didier Drogba has a great liking towards Arsenal and has an absolutely phenomenal record against the Gunners. He regained his scoring form by scoring against Tottenham and will look to improve his form by scoring against his favourite opponents.

Team News:

Arsenal:

Arsene Wenger said that Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Lukasz Fabianski were all likely to make the squad for Stoke City itself. An extra week to build fitness could be beneficial for these players and Wenger will look to his best players to deliver against a strong Chelsea team. Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner could make the squad after coming through full training.

Manuel Almunia is fit according to sources but might again be excluded to provide the reserve berth for Wojciech Szczesny. Thomas Vermaelen is believed to be still some way before he recovers and is scheduled for a return in January.

Probable Starting 11:

Lukasz Fabianski; Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Sebastien Squillaci, Gael Clichy; Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song, Robin van Persie; Samir Nasri, Marouane Chamakh, Andrei Arshavin

Substitutes:

Wojciech Szczesny, Johan Djouroru, Emmanuel Eboue, Nicklas Bendtner, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby

Chelsea:

The Blues have lost some of their important players due to injuries and suspensions but Carlo Ancelotti will have a strong squad to choose from. It is unlikely that Chelsea will have Jose Bosingwa and Alex fit for the clash but apart from that, they have all the senior players in the squad. Lampard made an appearance at White Hart Lane and is in line for his first start after his injury against Arsenal. Though Nicolas Anelka has been in poor form, he is expected to start for the Blues alongside Didier Drogba.

John Terry admitted a lack of depth in the squad which is hurting them and it is because of their failure to replace experienced players like Michael Ballack, Deco, Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho. The substitutes bench consists of a number of young players and Ancelotti could strengthen his squad in January.

Probable Starting 11:

Petr Cech; Paulo Ferreira, Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Ashley Cole; Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard; Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba

Substitutes:

Ross Turnbull, Jeffrey Bruma, Salomon Kalou, Patrick van Aanholt, Joshua McEachran, Ramires, Daniel Sturridge

Wishing you and your Family a Merry Christmas!

This article is also featured on The Invincible Gunners, a new blog started by me.

Arsenal Goalkeeper Debate: Wojciech Szczesny or Laukasz Fabianski as the first choice keeper?

Arsene Wenger gave a shock start to Wojciech Szczesny in the high profile encounter against Manchester United amidst a hostile crowd at Old Trafford. Lukasz Fabianski was reported to be struggling with a leg injury but was surprisingly named among the substitutes while Szczesny started the game.

Manuel Almunia was snubbed in favour of the two young Poles and though he has declared himself to be fit, it is unlikely that Arsene Wenger will open the door for him unless an unlikely scenario of injuries to both the Polish keepers occurs. But the Spaniard who wants to play regularly at his age is likely to move on to any other club considering his future with the Gunners is very questionable.

Wenger has backed Spaniard to a great extent but finally, his patience has run out after horrendous mistakes by Almunia against West Bromwich Albion cost them the three points which could yet prove decisive in the title race. Almunia has got good reflexes and is a decent shot stopper but has trouble controlling his area and his decision making has led him to make several costly errors.

Almunia's performances over the years has drawn a lot of criticism from the supporters and it is rather amazing that he has got such a long run with the Gunners. His performances for Arsenal could be summed up by one match against Barcelona at the Emirates.

In the first half, he was exceptionally good producing numerous good saves which an Arsenal supporter thought was beyond his capacity. But in the second half, he was caught in no man's land allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to lob it for an easy goal. He is a decent goalkeeper, but his errors have cost Arsenal a lot of points and he is surely not a goalkeeper for any of the top European teams.

Vito Mannone had a short stint within the sticks in the last season and though he did make a couple of errors, there was enough to suggest that the Italian youngster had good potential.

However, he has been frustrated due to lack of opportunities and has been sent out on loan to Hull City. His frustration is also because of the rise of Szczesny above him in the pecking order which guarantees him very less playing time.

This effectively leaves the two Polish Internationals, Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski to compete for the first team place with youngster James Shea being the third choice goalkeeper for the season. In this article, I would like to analyse which of the two goalkeepers should be the first choice keeper.

Lukasz Fabianski

Fabianski was signed from Legia Warsaw after a string of good performances for the club and looked set for a promising future at the Emirates. However, ever since the thrashing at the hands of Tottenham in the 5-1 thrashing, he has not had the same confidence although his recent performances suggest that he is close to his best form.

He had a disastrous last season where his presence in goal caused nervousness amongst the Arsenal faithful and his clangers led him to be amongst the most maligned players in the club.

However, he has shown good mental resilience to put his error-strewn last season behind and concentrate on this season. He has utilised his opportunities well and has put in some assured performances in many games like the ones against Everton, Wolverhampton and Manchester City.

Strengths:

He has got very good reflexes and is an excellent shot-stopper. His distribution has improved considerably and he is starting to provide the necessary confidence to his defence. His calmness between the sticks has provided an assured presence for Arsenal.

Weaknesses:

He is not very comfortable dealing with crosses and has proved to be suspect in the past when he has been targeted. It has been a strategy effectively used in the past by Blackburn, Stoke and Wigan and could prove a liability when faced against physical teams. Also, he does not command the defence too well and has to cope with a lot of pressure because of his errors in the past.

Wojciech Szczesny

Wojciech Szczesny was allowed to train with the first team at Legia Warsaw at the age of 15, which shows the potential of the youngster. Arsenal then signed the youngster who progressed to the reserves. He did impress in the reserves before he was signed on loan by Brentford.

It is at Brentford that he caught the eye of everyone at Arsenal with Arsene Wenger going on to say that he had the quality to be the no.1 goalkeeper in the future.

Szczesny was a star performer for Brentford and the manager had glowing words for the youngster who got a standing ovation from the crowd for his performances.He did not want to go out on loan again and wanted to establish himself at Arsenal under the tutelage of Wenger. He did voice his concerns at not getting enough opportunities to prove his calibre at Arsenal, which made supporters think he might leave the club.

However, he did sign a new contract and has got some games under his belt. He has started in three games in this season. Against Newcastle United in the Carling Cup, he made one error when he came forward and missed the ball but on the whole, it was a very good performance which included a couple of impressive saves as well.He did not have much to do against Wigan.

The confident youngster has always been eager to play for the first team but even he would not have expected to make his Premier League debut against arch rivals Manchester United.

He did let in his first goal for the Arsenal first team but it was as impressive a debut as it can get. He made a world class save against Anderson from point blank range which was remarked by some commentators as "Schmeichel-ish." He was also very alert and was comfortable in handling crosses and might be just the goalkeeper that Arsenal needs at the moment.

Strengths:

His huge frame in goal allows him to cover the goal effectively and has got very good reflexes. He looks to be commanding and does not seem to be nervous on the big stage. He is comfortable dealing with crosses and does come out of his line to deal with dangerous balls into the box.

He possesses good physique,cannot be easily targeted by opposition and looks to be a good handler with the ball. He is eager to impress and has immense confidence in his abilities.

Weaknesses:

His inexperience is the biggest factor against him being the first team goalkeeper. He has not played any big games apart from the United game and could feel the pressure on big occasions. Also, a mistake might cause him to lose his nerve and could falter because of his inexperience. His distribution was not great and his kicking is slightly suspect but there does not seem to be an apparent weakness with the youngster.

Wenger's Conundrum with respect to the Keepers

Lukasz Fabianski has made a strong case this season and it would be rather unfair on him if he is dropped on the basis of Szczesny's performance against Manchester United. Fabianski has emerged a stronger man as a result of the scars inflicted on him by his errors in the last season. However, the feeling lingers that Fabianski might make a mistake which could cost them the game.

However, it might be too early to thrust Szczesny as the regular no.1 keeper as well. He has only played four matches for the first team and the general feeling with regard to goalkeepers is that they get better with maturity and Wenger will have to decide whether Szczesny is mature enough to be the no.1 keeper.

In my opinion, Szczesny should keep his place in the side for the Stoke game at the Emirates which could be a real test of his calibre. Fabianski was targeted by the Potters in the FA Cup tie and he did not have a good game.

There is a good chance that they will employ the same strategy and his previous performances could prove a mental block for Fabianski. However, Szczesny is fresh from a good performance and is eager to prove his credentials as a top-level goalkeeper. It would be a bold decision from Wenger to install Szczesny ahead of Fabianski but it would not be a bad one in my opinion.