Why Unai Emery must deploy Bernd Leno more often at Arsenal
When Unai Emery arrived at Arsenal in the summer, there were a number of areas in the squad that needed strengthening. Arsenal had just finished 6th in the previous season and the team looked in a complete disarray. One of the first signings made by the Spanish coach was that of Bernd Leno, the young German goalkeeper.
It is no secret that Arsenal have struggled due to the goalkeeping department in the past. The Gunners never truly replaced David Seaman and as a result, they have been punished in the past decade or so. Hence, it made sense for Emery to splash £22million and sign Leno over the summer.
But since the first day of the season, it has been perplexing to watch Petr Cech start all four games in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Leno was only allotted a place on the bench. Cech is probably one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history and has won the league four times.
However, since his move to the Emirates, Cech has looked shaky and nervous. According to a statistical report by Sky Sports, the 36-year-old had an xG Prevented(Expected goals Prevented) score of -2.7 last season. This means that the Arsenal stopper was expected to concede 27.3 goals (xG) based on the number of big chances opponents created but ended up conceding 30.
This is quite poor if compared to the goalkeepers of other top teams. David de Gea, unsurprisingly, tops the list with an xG Prevented score of +13.8. The United superstar was expected to concede 29.8 (xG) goals from big chances but he conceded only 16.
It’s not just Cech’s shot-stopping that’s been the problem for Arsenal. This season, Emery has introduced a new tactical system where the ball has to be played from the back. To make this a success, all his defenders and goalkeepers need to be great with the ball at their feet and play comfortably through the opposition press.
But Petr Cech has really struggled in this role. There were signs of nervousness in the first game against Manchester City and the situation hasn’t improved since then. In their latest match at Cardiff City, Cech gave the ball straight away to the opposition, who had a great chance of burying the ball back into the net.
Leno was brought in to ensure Arsenal don’t make such mistakes again. He is well-known for his distribution skills from the back and it is about time Emery trusts him with the No.1 jersey. But Leno has had his own problems in the past.
He made five big errors that directly lead to goals in the last two Bundesliga seasons. However, for now, it is important to see how good or how bad Leno is in an Arsenal shirt. He might make mistakes and it is perfectly fine if he does that.
After all, the Premier League is the toughest league in the world and it takes time for players, especially goalkeepers, to adjust to its pace and physicality.
David De Gea, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now, was very shaky and uncomfortable in his first two seasons at Old Trafford. But Sir Alex Ferguson trusted him and provided him with chances to improve himself.
And Leno needs the same from Emery. He needs a stage where he can showcase his talent to the Premier League. He should be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them as that will build both his skills and character.
