Polished performance as Szczesny signs

After making noises that he was contemplating moving away if he didn`t get enough playing time this season the highly rated young goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new long term deal the club has announced. The 'keeper situation at Arsenal has been one of controversy heightened over a summer of rumours of potential recruits but the youthful Pole who has been at the club since he was 16 is seen as a future number one.

"We are delighted to secure the long-term future of Wojciech, who we regard as a very important part of our Club's future. We have all seen his huge potential, both in training and in the matches that he has played for us, so we look forward to seeing him develop further in the coming years." Arsene Wenger said on the club`s website.

Szczesny was delighted to have ended any doubts about his future very swiftly confessing "It's a great feeling to sign a new contract with Arsenal and I'm so pleased. The negotiations happened very quickly and it was easy. I'm now looking forward to continuing the hard work on the training pitch and doing my best whenever I have the opportunity to play in the Arsenal first-team."

With Almunia out injured and Mannone out on loan he has been understudying fellow countryman Fabianski who has begun to settle supporters nerves about our 'keeping capabilities albeit with the occasional reminder that nothing should be taken for granted.

Meanwhile fellow member of the goalkeepers union Tim Howard and expected occupier of the space between the opposing goalposts in the weekend game against Everton has come out in support of our current custodian telling reporters "Goalkeeping criticism is 90 per cent nonsense. He [Fabianski] is a fantastic keeper and he showed that the other night at Wolves. Goalkeeper is an easy position on the pitch to criticise, so I would tell him to ignore it, I certainly don`t pay attention to it" as he continued "It is very easy to focus on when a keeper goes through a difficult time but I think the level of criticism isn`t very realistic."

It looks as though Lukasz and Wojciech could find themselves simultaneously contesting the number one spot for both club and country before too long.

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