Bernd Leno made a howler for Arsenal against Southampton.
In Arsenal’s first loss since August, Bernd Leno was largely at fault. While the blame shouldn’t be pinpointed on him, he will feel like he could have done better to deny Charlie Austin his winning goal.
Arsenal’s next match is against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal. I expect Unai Emery to play a strong team, however, he may choose to play Petr Cech in this match. Cech hasn’t played in a while now, as Emiliano Martinez featured in the recent Europa League match with Qarabag. Cech has been a second-fiddle goalkeeper this season but it has benefitted him. Leno should look to take the same approach if he is benched in the North London derby,
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Petr Cech is an experienced professional and while he may not be up to date with modern expectations, the Czech international definitely has the right approach to matches. Leno is already equipped when it comes to passing under pressure but his decision-making skills must be improved upon. Cech rarely makes mistakes like this, his mistakes come from his distribution.
If he does play against Spurs, Cech will be fired up to impress. He has played against Tottenham a number of times, both with Chelsea and with Arsenal. Leno should look to learn plenty from his positioning and decisions on whether or not to come out from his line.
Bernd Leno starting is a possibility
Of course, the other scenario is that Bernd Leno plays in this match, which would also be very beneficial for him. Some Arsenal fans are saying that the players shouldn’t be rested and they should be made to fight for their places, this is a concept I agree with.
There’s no better chance to prove yourself than against your bitter rivals. Having made an uncostly mistake against them last time out, which he will look to make amends for. Watching Leno play, it’s easy to see the progress in his play. He learns from his mistakes well rather than beating himself up over it. That’s why I think it’s important not to overreact to his mistake against Southampton. Arsenal needed that loss, it will benefit Leno and most importantly, the club as a whole in the long run.
It would be great to hear your opinions on the situation. Do you think Bernd Leno should start against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal?