Arsenal: If the future is here in Bernd Leno, then let it be

Arsenal brought in Bernd Leno to be the future of the keeper position at the club. Now that the future has taken the reigns, let him have it.

Arsenal’s nightmare goalkeeper situation looks to be behind them at long last. Whereas last year they had two No. 2 keepers, neither of whom deserved to be the starter and both of whom proved to be woefully inadequate,

This year, they’ve had two No. 1 keepers, both of whom have been dying to hold onto that starting role while simultaneously earning it.

The opposing goals were coming in hard and fast early in the season, though most was the fault of the defense, and not necessarily of the keepers, who were frequently credited as not being able to do much of anything to stop the goals that they did give up.

Now that the clean sheets and the lesser goal tallies are channeling in, the keepers are getting the credit they deserve. Both Petr Cech and Bernd Leno have had their heroic moments, have had lead-preserving saves and have shown up to the calling of a No. 1 keeper.

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Funny how that works. If you pit a No. 2 keeper against your No. 1 keeper, that No. 1 keeper settles into a No. 2 keeper. But if you pit a No. 1 keeper against your No. 1 keeper, they both play to the tip-top of their abilities.

I was all for giving Leno the starting role from the start, and I know I wasn’t alone. In my estimation, Cech had lost the right to start last year, and had to earn it back, but Unai Emery stuck with the veteran and it paid off. Cech found his best and set the bar high for Leno, who has only just gotten the chance in light of Cech’s injury.

Unsurprisingly, Leno has been fantastic. It’s fantastic to see, but it also prompts a tough decision. Cech never lost the starting job this year. He earned it back, hands down. So when he comes back from the injury list, it should be his right to the starting role.

That may not end up being the case though. Because, think about it, if the future is here, and the future is doing well, why would you alter course?

Leno is the future, he is here, he is doing well, so there’s nothing to gain by reverting back to Cech. That is, until the need arises.