Charles Watts, the Arsenal correspondent for Goal, has been discussing the goalkeeping situation at the Emirates Stadium during a recent video on his YouTube channel.
Bernd Leno sustained an injury shortly after the Premier League’s restart during June’s defeat at Brighton, opening up the number-one spot for Emiliano Martinez, who has impressed with an average performance rating of 7.02/10 in the league (as per WhoScored.com) since being given the opportunity to keep goal regularly for the Gunners.
The Argentine stopper turned in another solid performance during Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Premier League champions Liverpool last weekend, with Watts discussing which of the two goalkeepers should start the 2020/21 season as the club’s first choice between the sticks.
On the subject, here is what Watts had to say:
“[A] really big decision needs to be made in terms of the goalkeepers for Arsenal. Given the financial situation at the club, given the need to sell some players to be able to bring in some more of their targets this summer, I don’t think you can really afford to go into this season with Leno and Martinez. They may well do, but I think it’s a big, big call, especially if bids start to arrive so they’ve got to make a decision on the goalkeepers. For me, I would probably sell Leno.”
“I think I’d rather keep Emi Martinez.”
Who would be your number one this coming season?
Leno
Martinez
TIF Thoughts…
Despite Leno making 30 appearances in the Premier League for Arsenal last season and earning a solid average performance rating of 6.88/10 (as per WhoScored.com), it appears the journalist has seen enough from Martinez to persuade him that if one is to be sold, it should be Leno.
In our view, the sample size by which the German can be judged is significantly larger and therefore, it could be argued, for the time being, that he should still be the number one on that basis. Equally, Martinez is certainly the man in form and so we wouldn’t like to be in Mikel Arteta’s shoes with having to make such a key decision going into the new season, which starts on September 12.