Arsenal: Bernd Leno is still our best keeper this decade

Bernd Leno flubbed big time in one awful moment, and it spurred Arsenal’s collapse against Chelsea. But he’s still our best keeper this decade.

The Chelsea match didn’t go the way we might have wanted, but just like against Bournemouth, one of the things we have to do is appreciate the changes we are seeing at this club. Mikel Arteta is moving Arsenal in the right direction already, and mistakes, like we saw Bernd Leno commit, aren’t going to undo that.

The most choking part was that it was Bernd Leno making the mistake that began the undoing.

While Leno took time to acclimate in his first season at the Emirates, he’s been golden ever since. Even when left stranded by incompetent defenders, he’s been a saint of steady hands back there, as reliable as can be. So much so that it was more so startling than upsetting to see him whiff on the punch that let Chelsea equalize.

Of course the knee-jerk reaction is one of regret. If only he hadn’t done that. But even with that mistake now added to his resume here at the club, he remains the best keeper of this decade at Arsenal Football Club.

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And this isn’t a matter of it being a bad decade, so it’s slim pickings. Not at all. Leno, assuming he stays for long enough, will solidify himself as one of the better keepers to ever play for this club. He’s just too good not to.

That said, the competition of this decade is rather lacking. Petr Cech, David Ospina, and pre-World Class Wojciech Szczesny.

I have often compared Leno’s situation to Szczesny’s and I will again here. If you keep hold of Leno, he will be to this club what Szczesny currently is to Juventus. Without a doubt. These are two guys that belong at the top of the pile when you start talking about the best goal keepers out there.

Also, Leno was damn-near mistake proof all year. It’s crazy to think that his error even happened. But alas, it did. And unfortunately for everyone, one mistake started the undoing. We may be used to this kind of thing from the defense, but the good news is that we won’t have to get used to it.

Don’t fret about this. Bernd Leno is the best we’ve had back there in a long time. Next time out we will remember good and well.