Arsenal FC: Can Aaron Ramsey Be the Future Replacement for Fabregas for Gunners?

It is exactly one year to the day that Aaron Ramsey sustained a horrific injury due to a terrible tackle by Ryan Shawcross and while the Stoke defender has made good progress, Ramsey has still not represented Arsenal FC in any competitive game. The Welshman is currently on loan at his former club, Cardiff City and is scheduled to return to Arsenal on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger confirmed that he had good reports regarding the fitness and performances of Ramsey and that he intended to use the midfielder for the game against Leyton Orient. The Welshman is not expected to perform to his previous high standards initially but it for the better of Arsenal football club that the Welshman regains his previous form which made him one of the best youngsters in the world.

Though Ramsey has been medically fit and cleared to play football since December, Wenger has been reluctant to utilize the midfielder's services till he is completely convinced of his fitness levels. The Frenchman will want Ramsey at his best in the future which is why he has given him a lot of time to recover completely from the fractures.

He was loaned out to Nottingham Forest a one month loan and since he did not get a game after returning, Wenger was convinced to send the Welsh International on another month long loan to Cardiff. Ramsey has played around 10 games for the Championship sides and the Arsenal manager is convinced that he has the ability to contribute to Arsenal's push for the title in various competitions.

Wenger has huge faith in the ability of Ramsey which is one of the main reasons why he was devastated by the injury to the 20-year old. He has been instrumental in developing the midfielder to achieve greater glory but Ramsey's progress was cruelly halted by Shawcross and the next few months will be hard work for the youngster.

The injuries to Eduardo and Diaby are still fresh on everyone's minds and all supporters will hope that Ramsey has a better recovery both physically and psychologically than both of them. Eduardo was shaken by the horrendous injury and was never able to fulfill his immense potential for the Gunners. Diaby has shown glimpses of his potential but many recurring injuries have stalled the development of the lanky midfielder on several occasions.

Ramsey's injury is not in the joints which means he has a better chance of recovering from the injury than both the players. The Wales International was recognized as a special player very early in his career which is why he was tracked by the likes of Manchester United and Everton. However, the youngster joined the Gunners and has been superb for them on several occasions.

He has a great range of passing and his passing, strength and movement makes him one of the most gifted youngsters on the planet. The youngster was entrusted with a lot of responsibility last year as he started games quite often for the Gunners in the games before that fateful game against Stoke at the Britannia stadium.

Though he has proven to be adept as a central midfielder partnering Alex Song, his best position is that of an attacking midfielder from where he can create chances through his creativity and vision. He has also excelled alongside Fabregas but the Spaniard is likely to depart to his hometown club within the next couple of seasons.

Jack Wilshere, who was on loan at Bolton when Ramsey was injured, has made one of the midfield slots his own with a string of impressive performances including a marvellous performance against FC Barcelona. Arsenal supporters can still not see Ramsey and Wilshere play together regularly because of the injury but the duo have the capability to form a devastating partnership in midfield along with Song.

Aaron Ramsey will have to work hard and need some fortune to regain his place in the Arsenal first team in the near future. He has certainly got the talent to be a world class midfielder but with Wilshere, Song and Fabregas forming a superb trio in midfield, chances will be hard to come by and he will have to shine in the opportunities he gets in the competitions.

Ramsey is fortunate to have a great manager in Arsene Wenger who will show patience with regard to the situation of the Wales midfielder. The experienced Arsenal manager has the capability to bring the best from Ramsey and Arsenal supporters will hope that Aaron Ramsey can be the player to replace Fabregas and forge a formidable partnership with Jack Wilshere.

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 vs. Barcelona Preview: Samir Nasri could be Fit but Andrei Arshavin is the X-Factor for the Gunners

Arsenal cruised to a two goal victory over a struggling Wolverhampton side following another brace from Robin van Persie who has scored nine goals from his last five league games. It could have been much more but Arsenal were not made to rue for those missed opportunities by the likes of Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin.

The Gunners will have the toughest match of the season so far on Wednesday when they take on mighty Barcelona who have been impressive this season. Though Arsenal have been inconsistent this season, they have shown enough to justify that they have the armoury required to beat the Spanish giants should they play at their best. For that though, they need their most talented players to play to their potential to carve openeings in the game.

Samir Nasri has undoubtedly been Arsenal's player of the season so far and Wenger's assessment that he will have a chance to play is a huge boost for the Gunners. However, it is better for the club that he is given enough time to recover completely from his injury so that he can be fit for the title run-in. Wenger would be conscious of the number of players he lost in the months of February and March last season and will probably name Nasri among the substitutes.

This would probably mean that it will the creative Andrei Arshavin who will start the game on the left forming a forward line boasting the likes of Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott. The Gunners will need every one of the eleven players and the substitutes to have a good game in order to beat the Catalans and that includes the inconsistent Andrei Arshavin to make his presence felt on the pitch.

The diminutive Russian has the quality to influence high profile games such as the one this week and Arsenal will be hoping that he will be at his best. He has been off-colour for most part of the season and has subsequently been benched in favour of England winger Theo Walcott. However, Samir Nasri's injury has provided him the opportunity to show his class for the Gunners and he has looked close to capturing his best form after an inspirational cameo off the bench against Everton.

He has encountered much criticism about his appalling work-rate in some games and if he does not work hard, Barcelona will be provided with a great opportunity to subject Gael Clichy to severe pressure from Pedro and Lionel Messi. Arshavin needs to be switched on throughout the game and more importantly, he needs the support of fans at the Emirates who have treated him unfairly when he has had a poor game.

The playmaker has created more goals than any one else in the team despite performing well below his potential and it shows the quality of the individual. The combo of Arshavin, Fabregas and Van Persie has wreaked havoc in recent games and if they can combine well again, Barcelona will ahve their hands full in stopping the trio which allows other players including the likes of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere to exploit the spaces.

Arshavin with his quality and experience has shown beyond question that he is a player of the highest quality and he has 
contributed immensely in many big games in his time with the Gunners. But if he can inspire the Gunners to emerge successful from the round of 16 tie against Barcelona, it will be his biggest achievement in his Arsenal career.

With less than 18 months on his contract, it is still questionable whether he will renew his contract with Arsenal. Whatever happens with his contract negotiations, if he can help the Gunners emerge victorious from the battle, he will be remember as the little magician who inspired Arsenal to a famous victory.

Arsenal F.C. opinion: Johan Djourou can be the next Alex Song for the Gunners

Arsenal cruised to a two goal victory over Wolverhampton who could not cope with the quality of the Gunners. Robin van Persie scored both the goals taking his tally for the season to 12 goals only two behind the leading goal-scorer of the season for Arsenal, Samir Nasri. The Gunners kept another clean sheet which will be a huge boost to their confidence ahead of the tough encounter against FC Barcelona who are amongst the best teams in the world.

After conceding four goals within half an hour against Newcastle, it was important that there were no defensive lapses for the Gunners and that they could gain all the three points from their impressive display which could have seen many more goals but for the heroics of Wayne Hennessey. Wojciech Szczesny said after the disastrous second half against Newcastle that the substitution of Johan Djourou caused an imbalance in the side.

Arsenal supporters were hugely relieved by news that the injury to Djourou was not serious and he would be able to start the game against Wolves. The Gunners' best defensive performances this season have been when Djourou has started games for them. With the injury to Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal needed the two new signings Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci to come good to keep their title aspirations alive.

However, it has been the performances of Djourou which has provided the Gunners with a solid base to perform better. The Swiss International has established a superb partnership with Laurent Koscielny and the duo have been good when played together. However Koscielny seems to be extremely uncomfortable when playing alongside Squillaci.

Though Wenger spent around £10 million on Koscielny, it is probable that it will be Djourou who will partner Vermaelen when the latter returns to full fitness. Though he started the season as the fourth choice centre back, the quality of his performances has made Wenger install him as the first choice centre back in the absence of the Belgian.

Djourou has been at Arsenal for a long time and at the age of 24; he is proving that he has the quality to be a starter for the Gunners for years to come. However, the road has not been smooth for the defender and he has worked hard to come back from the injury which threatened to derail his Arsenal career.

Though the Ivorian born player has been at the club for a long time, he was not considered to be the first choice centre back and his quality was questioned by a number of critics. But it is credit to Djourou that he has shown a willingness to wait and has trusted his manager to give him the opportunity he deserves. Wenger has a lot of faith in him and even said to him that he had let the solid Kolo Toure leave the club to provide more opportunities for him.

He is currently enjoying a superb run of games for Arsenal and his performances have made him one of the key players of the season for the Gunners. His progress to the first team has similarities with Alex Song whose credentials to play as the defensive midfielder were questioned by many.

The Cameroon International has developed immensely under the keen eyes of Wenger and has vastly improved over the last couple of seasons. Song made the role of the defensive midfielder his own last season and this season; he has shown that he is a complete player by providing good offensive threat along with his effectiveness in defensive midfield.

Song has established his place in the Arsenal first team and is one of the regulars if fit. He has also won over the Arsenal supporters who regard him to be as important as Cesc Fabregas or Robin van Persie and his commitment to the club has been excellent as well. Djourou's progress this season could undoubtedly be the sign of things to come and he has the quality to be Arsenal's first choice defensive centre-back for the future.

Arsenal: 5 Reasons Why Samir Nasri Must Be The Next Captain For The Gunners

Arsenal will face a buoyant Wolverhampton side after their triumph against leaders Manchester United and the Gunners need to acquire all the three points to close the gap in the title race. With the Manchester derby happening before the game at the Emirates, the Gunners will look to secure all the three points as one of the title contenders is bound to drop points in the game at Old Trafford.

The Gunners had a spectacularly poor second half against Newcastle United and for the first time in their history, they squandered a four goal lead and could not earn the full quota of points from their visit. Though Abou Diaby's red card was the start of the calamitous performance, the Gunners' lack of leadership was also to blame for their performance in the second half.

It is impossible to envisage the same situation had the Gunners had a tough captain like Patrick Vieira or Tony Adams. Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is an intelligent player who undoubtedly produces his complete effort to help the Gunners win games. Although he is a tough and determined fighter, he seems to be carried too much by the momentum of a game and cannot inspire his team-mates to be resilient.

Newcastle United came into the second half  with a clear game-plan of roughing up the Gunners by robust challenges and it was inevitable that one of the Arsenal players over-reacted to the ferocity of the challenges. Arsenal were undoubtedly not helped by the negligence / incompetence of the referee to provide any sort of protection to the Arsenal players and without the presence of hard-tackling midfielders like Patrick Vieira, the Gunners were unable to cope with the physicality of the home side.

Though Arsene Wenger has defended his captain Cesc Fabregas, the French tactician must be concerned by the way Arsenal has fallen apart at times and he must consider changing the captain if that could inspire the Gunners to tougher. Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are the two most experienced players for the Gunners but it is Samir Nasri who must receive the captain's armband and here are five reasons why he must be the next captain.


1. The Tough Street Lad

Nasri has often stated that he grew up to be tough by playing on the streets in France. He is someone who is always ready for a fight and will not tolerate being kicked by the opposition. He is not one to be intimidated by the opposition and though he can get provoked quite easily, he has been quite sensible on the pitch and has not got into too much trouble.

If there are tackles like the ones by Joey Barton and Ryan Shawcross, Samir Nasri is sure to get into their faces and force the referee to take action. He is not the strongest lad at Arsenal but is surely a tough fighter.


2. Excellent Relationship with the Fans who have supported him immensely at Arsenal

There are some players who are greeted with a warm welcome when they arrive at a club and Samir Nasri has always enjoyed great support from the club's supporters ever since he made his debut against West Bromwich Albion. He has enjoyed great support from the fans who have kept their faith in the French midfielder.

Though he did not play to his potential in the first two seasons, he has been sensational this season and that has got the Emirates faithful completely supporting him on the pitch. Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie also enjoy good relationships with the supporters but other captains like Manuel Almunia do not have good support.


3. One of the Best Prospects for Arsenal's Future

Nasri has been Arsenal's player of the season and remains integral to the Gunners' title hopes this season. He is the top goal-scorer for the Gunners with 14 goals for the season so far and has been very influential for the club's fortunes. There is a good possibility that Fabregas might leave Arsenal for Barcelona in the next couple of years which would mean Nasri will have a more important role in the future.

He is one of Arsenal's brightest young prospects and with only one more year remaining on his contract in the summer, Wenger will look to tie him down to a longer deal which will be lucrative. Also, he is amongst the fittest players at Arsenal and though he has been injured at times, he has been able to make more than 100 appearances in less than three seasons.

4. Responsibility

It is no coincidence that Nasri's best performances for Arsenal have come in the absence of the talismanic Cesc Fabregas. Though the two midfielders can work together effectively, Nasri seems to thrive when there is more responsibility thrust on his young shoulders. He has shown the capability to lead the Gunners which has been noticed by Wenger who has made him the Captain on a couple of occasions.

There are many players who shirk away from responsibility and pressure but the talented Frenchman seems to play at his best when he is under pressure to perform. He has shown good leadership skills and has the capability to inspire the team by accepting responsibility on behalf of the team.


5. Determination and Hunger to Win Trophies

Nasri has a single minded objective of winning trophies with the Gunners and it is expected that he will sign a new contract with the Gunners. The midfielder who has been compared to the legendary Zinedine Zidane has the capability to conjure something special which could provide the confidence required for Arsenal to win titles.

He works his socks off in the games and provides adequate support to the fullbacks when the Gunners are on the back-foot. He has shown the willingness to develop into a world class player by working extremely hard and it is clear that he is determined to achieve success with Arsenal.

If Arsenal can win the final against Birmingham at Wembley, then they would have ended their five year trophy drought and it could be the birth of a new era led by the inspirational Samir Nasri.

Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas' Professionalism Stands Out In The Midst Of Torres' Saga

Arsenal managed to overcome a resilient Huddersfield side in the FA Cup to reach the next stages of the historic competition. The Gunners were the favourites in this encounter but they were put through a stern test by the Championship side who fought till the end. Arsene Wenger said it was that sort of a cup tie which provides intense excitement and demands the players to perform to the best of their abilities.

Arsene Wenger had to rotate his squad to keep them fit for this gruelling set of fixtures and the only real gamble he took was starting the in-form Samir Nasri ahead of the experienced Czech captain Tomas Rosicky. He opted to rest key players Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas for this encounter and yet managed to field quite a strong team.

It is quite unfortunate that Nasri was injured during the game due to a hamstring injury which puts him a doubt for the important Champions League game against FC Barcelona. Fabregas was brought on in the last few minutes of the match and salvaged the game in favour of the Gunners by inspiring his team when they looked unsettled.

The Spaniard has not been at his best for large parts of this season due to recurrence of his hamstring injuries but he does seem to be free from those troubles at present. He has been crucial in still keeping Arsenal in the FA cup with two late penalties against Leeds and Huddersfield respectively. Fabregas is not one to shirk responsibility and despite some criticism, he has been an able leader for the Gunners.

He was strongly linked with a move to Barcelona and according to many sources, he had informed Wenger that he intended to move to Spain. But Fabregas started the season in Arsenal colors and he has promised to stay at least till the end of the season. He has always declared that he does love Arsenal and has admitted that captaining this team means a lot to him.

Despite all the transfer speculation surrounding his future, he has not been distracted on the football field and continues to try his best regardless of what goes behind the scenes. Hs celebrations after that goal against Ipswich which confirmed Arsenal's berth in Wembley showed how much it meant for the young World Cup winner.

In this modern era of Football, there is a lot of emphasis on player power and most of the players can play their cards according to their wishes. Most people have criticised Fabregas for not speaking up about staying at the club but even if he did have a desire to join his boyhood club, Barcelona which is still unconfirmed, he has been very professional in handling the issue.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are great friends and the Spaniard said that the first thing he did after winning the world cup was to talk to the Dutchman.He also dedicated his success in South Africa to Arsenal for helping him become one of the world's best attacking midfielders. These were comments he made when speculation was rife that he had played his last game for the Gunners.

He has always maintained that his future lies in the hands of Wenger, whom he considers as his second father. Also, he has never handed in a transfer request and it is clear that he has the desire to achieve success with the club which brings us to the situation of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

Torres has had to shoulder the burden of scoring goals almost single-handedly on a number of occasions and it is true that a lot of promises have not been kept but that has not been due to the new owners, John Henry and co. because they have run the club in a dignified manner since taking over the club. The Spanish striker declared that the Reds were the biggest club in England when he committed his future to the club in the summer.

However, it does seem like he has inserted a clause in his contract allowing him to leave in summer for a price of £50 million if the club cannot compete in the Champions League next year. Despite all his statements about the club, he has handed a transfer request and has made it clear he wants to move to Chelsea due to his ambitions of winning the title.

If Torres had moved on in the summer, it would still have caused Liverpool supporter a lot of despair but they would not be incensed by it. The timing of the transfer request has let the club down and hows disrespect towards the club and its supporters who have supported the striker ever since his move from Spain.

Liverpool are currently in good form and are the outside bets to qualify for the Champions League though it does look improbable at present. One of the main reasons why Liverpool have suffered is due to the exceptionally poor form of El Nino who has come to life on very few occasions most notably against Chelsea.

Also, he has enjoyed better form since the arrival of the King, Kenny Dalglish or so it  seemed. It has only been the opening of the transfer window which has injected some life into the striker to remind other clubs that he still remains one of the best strikers in the game.

The fact that Torres wants a move away from the club is easy to understand but his desire to move to Premier League rivals would itself not make it comfortable for the Liverpool faithful. The timing of the transfer request has shown a lot of disrespect towards the club who are essentially left with a lose-lose option.

Fabregas, on the other hand, has always maintained that he does not intend to disrespect the Arsenal supporters which is why he has preferred to deal his transfer speculations directly with Arsene Wenger. There is a good possibility that the Spaniard will leave the club next season but he has shown great respect for the club and Arsenal fans should support him if he still retains the respect and dignity when he departs the Emirates.

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.