Arsenal: Belief In David Ospina The Key To Success

Arsenal are going to be without Petr Cech against Tottenham and David Ospina’s tummy has to be in knots. All we have to do is believe though, and Ospina will win.

Remember those days when we were actually saved by David Ospina? Way back last year when Wojciech Szczesny continued to be an enigmatic keeper, the cry was to give Ospina a chance. Everyone believed in him. He had to be the answer. And guess what? He was.

Ospina took the second best saves-per-goal ratio in the world to the end of the season, second only to Claudio Bravo. It was a truly remarkable run and he held the faith of everyone at the Emirates (mostly). But he did not hold Arsene Wenger’s faith. Nothing says faith like “good season, you’re replaced.”

Ospina is such a rare case at Arsenal. When has Wenger ever replaced someone who he bought on the cheap that did pretty solidly? Let alone replace him with a big name, proven, world-class guy from a direct rival? It’s a rarity. In fact, no other instances of such activity comes to mind. Every major signing was a direct need. By that standard, it is a bit unfortunate for Ospina, who probably saw Arsenal as a club that would see a good performance and stick with him, rather than upgrade for no reason. But that’s what they did.

Don’t get me wrong, Cech has saved this entire season, but it naturally rattled Ospina’s confidence a bit. Suddenly any start by Ospina was seen as a liability and he lived up to that lack of faith in the Champions League. Hard to blame him when your confidence is shattered like that. It was sheer pity of Ospina as he was unable to cope with lesser European opponents.

I doubt it is anything more than irony, but isn’t it, well… ironic that when we believed Ospina was our savior, he was. Yet when we believed he was a step down and a liability, he was. Perhaps Ospina is like Santa Clause. The more you believe the more real he becomes. Likewise, drop the belief and he disappears (that was sarcasm).

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Whatever the case, Arsene Wenger has to somehow conjure up a sense of belief in Arsenal’s Colombian keeper and it will not be easy. Ospina is not happy with his situation, he was replaced after a breakout year and now he is being asked to save Arsenal’s season two years running. All because Petr Cech had to run off and strain his hamstring.

Ospina is also supposedly on the block to be sold, according to rumors. So what would inspire a keeper on his way out of a club that snubbed him to put on his inspirational pants and shut down their most hated rivals, who also happen to be three points up in the table?

That is up to Wenger, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit unnerving. Wenger has had a lot of trouble inspiring his troops all year, and those are the dedicated troops. The guys like Mathieu Debuchy and (according to rumors) David Ospina are a different ballgame.

Confidence will be at a premium, but there is one positive way to look at it. Ospina wants to the Arsenal’s No. 1 keeper. This is his opportunity to prove himself. He proved it last year, not all he has to do is do it again (having to prove yourself two times is not even that much, just ask Joel Campbell). We are going to find out just how strong Ospina is on Saturday.

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Of course, he could also pump himself up by seeing it as an audition for other teams, because let’s be honest, even if he makes 27 saves and Arsenal squeak out a 1-0 win, he is not going to unseat Petr Cech.