Arsenal had a wonderful Saturday afternoon after a crucial victory over Aston Villa which has boosted the club’s top four chances. And it seemed as though a lot of the delight from the club had been directed towards Bernd Leno.
The German goalkeeper was tasked with coming in for Aaron Ramsdale, who was announced as injured before the match. Leno’s last Premier League match came in a 5-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City.
So the fact that he was able to keep a tough clean sheet at Villa Park was a great moment for him, and it highlighted the team togetherness that his colleagues and the fans were so delighted for him.
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At the start of the season, the Gunners had lost their opening three Premier League games and had conceded nine goals in the process, with Leno starting all three. Leno has been usurped by Ramsdale in the fight to be Arsenal's number one goalkeeper.
No one seemed to be more please than Ramsdale about the amazing performance displayed by Leno, which is a surprise. The Englishman suffered from his injury right after a disappointing display against Liverpool.
But the fact that Ramsdale which still in complete jubilation for Leno, during and after the match just shows the close bond the two goalkeepers have. The Gunners have two goalkeepers who are capable of helping their team to a Champions League place.
Speaking about the two goalkeepers after the victory against Aston Villa, Mikel Arteta said: He[Ramsdale] wasn’t comfortable in the last 50 minutes against Liverpool. He wanted to be here to support Bernd which tells you about a lot of things behind the scenes.”
Edu has already replaced Leno next season with Matt Turner, who is set to be the understudy for Ramsdale, which is why Leno deserves even more praise, as he is still fully committed to the Champions League cause despite not possibly being at the club to feature in the club next season. And this was something that has certainly been appreciated by the fans.
Before the half-time whistle at Villa Park, Arsenal fans were heard chanting Leno’s name after impressively gathering the ball from a dangerous position. He was also met with congratulations from his teammates, which highlights their appreciation for the goalkeeper.
Leno will play a crucial role in Arsenal achieving Champions League qualification, which was proved by his performance against Villa. The appreciation by the club as a whole just signifies the positive morale in and around the north London side at the moment, which is certainly propelling the club to the targets.
