We’ve learnt in the past that the media usually cannot be trusted around the crazy transfer season. If we had every player we were supposedly giving a medical to, our team would consist of M’Vila, Higuain and Christopher Samba. However, the whispers of the imminent arrival of Chelsea veteran Petr Cech seem promising, with apparently personal terms already agreed upon.
But with 4 goalkeepers of Szczesny, Ospina, Martinez and possibly Cech, who is needed to pave the way for the world class talent?
The decision seems to be down to either David Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny, as Martinez seems set to speak to multiple Spanish teams for a loan spell. But how does each player compare to each other?
Petr Cech
Age : 33
Games played (2014/2015) : 7
Clean Sheets : 4
Save Percentage : 88.9
Errors leading to attempts : 0
David Ospina
Age : 26
Games played (2014/2015) : 18
Clean Sheets : 8
Save Percentage : 80.7
Errors leading to attempts : 1
Wojciech Szczesny
Age : 25
Games played (2014/2015) : 17
Clean Sheets : 3
Save Percentage : 67.2
Errors leading to attempts : 6
These stats seem to convey that David Ospina would be a great secondary goalkeeper, as his first season has proved to be a good yardstick to kick off from. From the goalkeepers who had played more than 10 games, Ospina had the highest save percentage in the premier league, as we saw with his acrobatic saving techniques. This also contributes to only 1 error leading to a goal on his behalf, which shows a much safer option to Szczesny who had 6 errors in almost as many games, showing the true calmness of David Ospina.
However, are there any other factors to consider? Ospina came into the squad during the beginning of our unbeaten run, but had very little to do during this as the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla went up a gear. The return of Francis Coquelin also sured up the defence, leading to ‘The Policeman’ becoming one of the most influential players on the pitch. So even though Ospina had many more clean sheets and a higher save percentage, is he too calm? We’ve found in the past against Southampton and Manchester United that Szczesny has become too excited with his role, and often makes horrible mistakes as his ego takes over. But is that a good quality to have? Arsenal Wenger seems to think so, and his classic loyalty to the young polish stopper may unfortunately lead to the departure of David Ospina from London after only a year, with Turkish clubs circling according to reports.
But who do you think should make way? Comment below or start a conversation on Twitter at @NorthArmoury or @FreshArsenal