Arsenal Want Djalo But No New Goalkeeper

Jens Lehmann

Arsenal face Liverpool today in what is a massive game for Wenger's side as they try to close the gap on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal will therefore be coming up against the goalkeeper that they tried to sign a couple of transfer windows ago, Pepe Reina.

However, that was before Wojciech Szczesny appeared as a solid figure between the white sticks at the Emirates. He has, Wenger believes, turned into a potential number 1 goalkeeper, and, now recovered from the dislocated finger he suffered against Barcelona in the Champions League, he will be out to prove it against Liverpool:

"Szczesny he has the calibre to be a goalkeeper at Arsenal Football Club and we have Fabianski as well."

"Szczesny has the potential [to be No 1]. It will be a fight because Fabianski will be back. We still have Almunia too, he has one year to go [on his contract].

"We can always in mid-season call Jens Lehmann back!" 

From that then, we can take that Wenger will not be delving into the transfer window to purchase a new goalkeeper, as he has all he needs already at the club. From Szczesny's performances this season, that is understandable. Aside from the defensive mishap in the Carling Cup final, he has been blunder free - something his team mates and rivals, Fabianski and Almunia, cannot boast.

Wenger's comments also seems to spell an end to Manuel Almunia's Arsenal career. No mention of the Spanish goalkeeper and Arsenal's fans huge general mistrust in him are not promising signs, and with the two Polish youngsters and a possible Lehmann return, he won't be getting many games next season anyway.

But according to some reports, Arsenal will try to improve their team further up the pitch with the signing of Yannick Djalo.

The 24 year-old Portuguese forward currently plays for Sporting Lisbon and has attracted attention from various clubs including Everton, but Arsenal are apparently favourites to sign Djalo who can operate both as a winger and a striker.

Djalo possesses blistering pace and has a strong physical presence, making over 80 appearances for Sporting, scoring 20 goals. Sporting will therefore be expecting to make £8 million for the player who has appeared once for Portugal so far.

Szczesny to Start As Fans Turn Against Almunia

Jens Lehmann

Arsenal's very promising goalkeeper Wojciech Sczcesny will start against Liverpool for the first time since he dislocated his finger in the Champions League loss at the hands of Barcelona. The 20 year-old has made a swift recovery since his injury in early March, and has returned quicker than expected, as he was initially thought to be out until the end of April.

The Polish 'keeper will celebrate his 21st birthday on the 18th of this month, which he will hope to celebrate in good spirits after a win at the Emirates to a Liverpool side who travel on the back of thrashing a poor Manchester City by three goals to nothing.

Jens Lehmann had to step in for the Blackpool game last week, due to a knee injury to Almunia in the warm up. Almunia's injury came to the apparent relief of the majority of Arsenal fans who voted on my poll issued just after the Blackpool game on who they would rather in the Arsenal goal for the remainder of the season:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said:

"Szczesny will play. It's a big surprise for us because we thought his season was over. But he was given the green light four weeks after the Barcelona game and he has had a full week of training.

"Jens wants to help out when needed and he knows the rule. I want to congratulate him on the game he played."

Watch Goals: Blackpool 1 - 3 Arsenal

Jens Lehmann

After Manchester United's influential Nani orchestrated an easy yet uninspired win and won three points against Fulham on Saturday, Arsenal's game against Blackpool was even more crucial in their race for the title. The Gunners fended off Blackpool's good start, helped by their loud and vibrant home support, cheering at every attack, and, against the run of play, Arsenal were able to carve open the Blackpool defence twice in quick succession to silence Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool were not in the giving up mood however. The second half saw the home crowd have much more to cheer about, with plenty of chances created, mostly in the first 20 minuted or so of the half. About 7 minutes into the second half, Taylor-Fletcher had forced the Tangerines back into the game with a good finish to beat the returning Jens Lehmann who was playing due to the late injury to Almunia in the warm up. Reports that Lehmann injured the Spaniard himself are unconfirmed. 

The German keeper could have been sent off in the lead up to the goal, bringing down an onrushing DJ Campbell to prevent him from scoring. Lee Mason had played the advantage previously when Wilshere brought down a Blackpool player, and he played it again which prevented Lehmann's dream return turning into a nightmare.

For about 10 or 15 minutes after the goal, Blackpool looked dangerous, but as Arsenal began to weather the storm, there looked like there would be only one result. And despite Blackpool's worthy efforts to get the equaliser, the game was killed off by a van Persie goal thanks to Theo Walcott's break in the 76th minute.

The Manchester United optimists and the Arsenal pessimists believe that the title race is already over, with a now seven point gap too much to overcome. But with a game in hand and a big game between the two sides to come, it may not be that simple.

Who Would Arsenal Fans Rather In Goal - Almunia or Lehmann?

Jens Lehmann

Manuel Almunia suffered a knee injury in the warm up before Arsenal's crucial game against Blackpool today, and as a result, the 41 year-old German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was played in Arsenal's goal. It was his first start since rejoining Arsenal as he came out of retirement to be back up to Almunia at the club, and he wasn't troubled too much in a game largely dominated by the Gunners.

Lehmann could have been sent off in the build up to Blackpool's first and only goal in the game in which he dived down to trip up DJ Campbell. A goal was scored anyway and Lee Mason played the advantage to Blackpool, preventing a red card being shown or a penalty given.

It is, as yet unclear as to How serious Almunia's injury is, but in the vital final few games, the question is, who would Arsenal fans rather have in goal, Manuel Almunia or Jens Lehmann?
Vote Below:

Who would Arsenal fans rather have in goal, Manuel Almunia or Jens Lehmann?

Arsenal >> Jens Lehmann Profile

Jens Lehmann

BBC Football | Barclays Premier League | Jens Lehmann | Arsenal Football Club | Biography | Player Profile and Career | Goalkeeper | Germany National Team

Arsenal : Jens Lehmann Arsenal Goalkeeper

Jens Lehmann Profile
Name : Jens Lehmann.
Place/Date of birth : Germany, 10 November 1969.
Height : 1.90 m.
Player Position : Goalkeeper.
Football team : Arsenal.
Number  : 13.

Career :
Youth
-
Senior
1988–1998 : Schalke 04.
1998–1999 : Milan.
1999–2003 : Borussia Dortmund.
2003–2008 : Arsenal.
2008–2010 : VfB Stuttgart.
2011– ... : Arsenal(Barclays Premier League-English Football).

National team
1989–1990 : West Germany U21.
1998–2008 : Germany.

thanks for visit BBC Football >> Jens Lehmann Profile

Lehmann to Return to Arsenal

Jens Lehmann

Jens Lehmann could soon become one of very few current Arsenal players to have lifted any silverware wearing the Arsenal kit. Lehmann won several trophies at Arsenal; the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Community Shield and claimed Champions League runners up medal. 

Arsenal have not won a major trophy since the German left Arsenal, and whats more, when Lehmann won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2004, it was done so without losing a single match. His anticipated return to Arsenal comes too late to repeat this feat, just as it is unlikely for the achievement to be completed again, but his experience in abundance and leadership qualities could prove vital in a title race with all too familiar rivals.

Lehmann is reportedly in talks with Arsenal over a short term move to solve Arsenal's current goalkeeping crisis. Wojciech Szczesny, Lukas Fabianski and Vito Mannone are all injured and therefore unavailable, leaving only Manuel Almunia to occupy the goal. Of course you only need one goalkeeper on the pitch at one time, but suppose Almunia were to pick up an injury - which considering Arsenal's current bad luck seems unfortunately likely. They need another keeper, and Lehmann could be a perfectly satisfactory solution.

It is ironic that upon Lehmann's supposed return to Arsenal, Manuel Almunia will be ahead of him in the pecking order. During his Arsenal days, Lehman became increasingly frustrated with the fact that Almunia was chosen ahead of him, and complained to Wenger about it;

"My coach confirmed my impression that he uses a different measuring stick to evaluate [Manuel] Almunia. For me this was a disappointment. It's very frustrating. When I see the performances on the field, I get angry and I have to clench my fist in my pocket."

That was said in 2007, and it looks as if four year on, Lehmann will return with his fist clenched firmly in his pockets. However, it is a nice situation for him to be in - returning from retirement to a club which he earned close to 200 appearance for, and helped to several (now rare) trophies. He could also help the current, still relatively inexperienced squad during the final stages of this incredibly tight title race.

It's a win - win situation isn't it? Well, unless the form of the end of his Arsenal career returns, and upon playing his first football game in a while if Almunia doesn't start, makes a crucial, title losing mistake.

Lehmann Big Fan of New Arsenal Number 1

Jens Lehmann

Wenger has already confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny is Arsenal's number one goalkeeper as he has "done nothing for me to take him out", and now the Polish international has had praise heaped onto his shoulders from the former Arsenal goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann.

In Lehmann's first season as number one for Arsenal, he was part of their brilliant unbeaten Premier League winning side of 2003/04. Szczesny may not be experiencing that with Arsenal this season, but he hasn't shown too many signs of slipping up, and in his short run of consecutive appearances has shown a command for his goal and consistency that Lehmann would have certainly been proud of. Evidently, he is:

"He has got everything he needs apart from the experience and the maturity, so he needs to work hard. He is very talented."

Now 41 and retired, he has an array of trophies to show off, but the last trophy he won at Arsenal has also been the last trophy that Arsenal have won after suffering over half a decade trophy drought. His last was the F.A Cup of 2005 in which he saved the Paul Scholes spot kick in the penalty shoot-out against Manchester United. Coincidentally, Arsenal's rivals in the Premier League this season are Manchester United once again, and Lehmann believes that his former team can finally lift a trophy once again this season:

"I think now they are coming to the end of this transition period that started after we won our last Cup. It was always obvious that Arsène wanted to change the team, and he had to,"

"The boys have matured now, so I hope that they are going to win the title."

Arsenal are still to host United at the Emirates, and when they do on the 30th April, they will have the chance of ending the Red Devil's unbeaten run in the Premier League - that is if it isn't already broken before the time they meet. Manchester United are currently five points clear at the top of the table and if Arsenal can keep a clean sheet against them with Wojciech Szczesny in goal, they have a good chance of lifting that coveted Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004.