Bernd Leno’s first season at Arsenal has been good but was overshadowed by the disheartening defending. During the 2018/2019 Premier League season the German was Emery’s favorite between the sticks as he made 32 appearances out of the possible 38. He started the season as a back-up but seized his chance when Cech suffered an injury against Watford at the Emirates.
Nonetheless, he just managed 6 clean-sheets. A reported fee of £19.3m, paid by the Emirates Club to sign him, is a bargain in today’s market, nevertheless, such a return is dismal considering his stark potential. In the Premier League alone the 27-year-old shot stopper conceded a whopping 42 goals but there’s more to this statistic than just his performance.
Being his first season he might be given a benefit of doubt. Most players, who are new to the Premier League struggle to deal with its intensity in their first campaigns and Leno was no different.
Emery anticipated that and thought he could watch first and learn. However, without firsthand experience on the pitch, it might have been challenging and the injury to Cech was just a blessing in disguise for Leno, an opportunity to kick start his career in North London.
The initial matches did not present the perfect start, though he never committed any conspicuous blunders, Leno looked quite nervy. Speaking to Sky Sports News earlier this year, he confessed that:
“..Physically it is strong and the referees don’t whistle for every contact, I like this way, but it needed a little bit of time because in Germany you are always protected by the referee, but here nobody protects you and you have to get used to it..”
The poor statistics can blatantly be attributed to Arsenal’s defensive vulnerability which left the keeper exposed most of the time. The Gunners’ defence story is a pitiful one and judging Leno under such circumstances is significantly awkward. How is he to be rated if on his best days he still ends up on the losing side?
Take for instance against Leicester at the King Power, he was the only silver lining for the fans during the gloom. The German international was sensational in goal. He put on a man of the match performance despite the team losing 3-0 against Leicester. This is just one of the many stories that happened in the 2018/2019 season. However, on a few instances, his worth was untarnished with the highlight being against Manchester United and Tottenham at the Emirates.
Great goalkeepers win matches for their teams and on such days Leno proved to be a great Keeper. Against top players, he displayed awesome reflexes to make unbelievable saves. His leadership and overall performance reminded everyone why he is a massive bargain.
Leno’s quality is undeniable but can he guarantee consistency? He needs to work on a few things to be dependable. His flaws are exposed during set pieces and this is something that can be addressed with an appropriate defense set-up. His second season at the Emirates will present the best opportunity for him to unleash his potential. However, will he get the necessary support? The defense must perform if he is to shine and hope Emery is working on a plan.
