Arsenal: Europa League keeper question has complicated answer

Arsenal have a decision to make regarding who to start in the Europa League final in goal, but the answer to the question isn’t a simple one.

Arsenal are going to have their chance at making it to the Champions League after all, and wouldn’t it just sting all the doubters so badly if we could do it? Of course, there are some complications in the way. For instance, who do we start at the No. 10, since no one healthy does the job well enough?

Or… who do you start in keeper?

It’s been Petr Cech‘s competition this far into the year. He has guided us to the final and done a pretty stellar job of it. And he’s made it clear that he is retiring after this competition final and would like to retire winning a trophy. It’s a good stance to take.

On the one hand, he’s made it this far. So why question it now, right? On the other hand, Petr Cech is the No. 2 keeper and the situation has changed.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

With the Europa League final now the only way to get into the Champions League, Unai Emery has a choice to make – do you honor what you’ve set out to give Petr Cech and hope for the best or do you go completely ruthless, start your best possible players and leave no questions asked about your decision-making? As in… start Bernd Leno.

This is a tough question. On the one hand, Arsenal has long been a club that respects a player’s individual wants and needs as best they can. That was a principle of Arsene Wenger and, by extension, of the club. Meaning that it should have carried over into the Unai Emery era.

But Unai Emery? He’s ruthless like Wenger never was. He’s fine with breaking a player’s heart for the good of the team. Well, maybe not “fine” with, but has different priorities, and those take precedence.

So whose Arsenal is this? Is it Wenger’s carryover, the soul of the club, or is it Emery’s new era, the ruthless, leave nothing behind to win? That’s the question we have to answer, or rather the question that Unai Emery has to answer, with the Europa League final looming.

As for me and my house, well, like I said, it’s not an easy question to answer. Trust is a wonderful thing. But I’d hate to feel like there was something else that could have been done.