Arsenal: The good, the bad and the ugly with David Ospina

Arsenal are sticking with David Ospina in the Carabao Cup, which is bold and could very well show the many sides of the Colombian.

With David Ospina starting on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, Arsenal supporters can expect a few wobbles from the Colombian, but, hopefully, he can come up with big saves when it matters the most.

Most supporters are probably not hopeful about the club’s chances on Sunday, especially with the Colombian in goal. It says a lot that few have been clamoring for Ospina to take the starting spot from Petr Cech, as Cech has made some pretty bad mishaps in the past few weeks.

For supporters, watching this club defend is hard enough, but with Ospina in goal, watching that same defending, there is an even bigger potential risk. Personally, I enjoy the Colombian and his nonchalant attitude in goal, even if his demeanor leads to the odd blunder.

He has had some low moments at Arsenal; for example, his own-goal against Olympiakos where he carried the ball across his own goal-line attempting to gather a corner-kick.

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No moment is more jaw-dropping than his own-goal playing for Colombia–thankfully not for Arsenal–that was among a string of events that led to Chile and Alexis Sánchez failing to qualify for the upcoming World Cup.

Colombia’s opponent, Peru, was awarded an indirect free-kick and on the subsequent shot, Ospina touches the ball before it crosses the goal-line, a goal that wouldn’t have counted if not for the touch.

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Hilariously, Colombia still successfully qualified for the World Cup unscathed.

For me, Ospina is an unorthodox goalkeeper, rather than shaky, unreliable or bad. His unorthodox style allows him to pull off flashy, exaggerated saves. His quickness and ability with the ball at his feet differentiate himself from Cech. With Ospina’s skillset, he may actually be more suited to play Manchester City–it’s a possibility.

Manchester City like to squeeze their opposition in and out of possession. They make countless opportunities from within their opposition’s penalty-area, which requires the defending goal-keeper to be agile and quick.

When defending, Manchester City will press high and the Gunners will need help from their goalkeeper to clear their lines successfully, which is something Cech has been unable to do with confidence over the past few weeks.

It is clear, anything is possible with Ospina in net from the evidence of his career. He can come up with athletic saves, but is also liable to make baffling mistakes.

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I look forward to watching Ospina try to defend Arsenal’s goal against Manchester City on Sunday and wish him the best of luck because he will need it. If he’s not spectacular, he will at least be entertaining.

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