Who is Arsenal’s number one?

Is it the Pole who wears the shirt but has been dropped since his horror-show at Southampton on New Year’s Day? Or is it the Colombian who has started seven of Arsenal’s last nine matches?

Ask Arsene Wenger and you won’t get a straight answer as he tries to leave the door open to both players to prove that they deserve to be Arsenal’s regular goalkeeper.

So why not ask one of the keepers?

That’s exactly what James Olley from the LES did.

Asking Ospina if it is possible for the two men to be friends given the fact that they are each trying to oust the other from the team, the 26-year-old replied

“Good question.

“Unfortunately for us goalkeepers, that’s just the way it is. The rest of the players have got more possibilities of playing. But we do maintain a good relationship and we have to in the training sessions because otherwise it becomes difficult for the team and for the coach.

“It is a healthy competition. In a team like Arsenal and at this level, you need to have very good goalkeepers like you have in all the major football teams. No1 and No2 goalkeepers really need to be ready to react very well. They have to be 100 per cent prepared and not prepared as and when but every day. You need to be that prepared and committed so you can continue to play.

“At the end of the day each of us is fighting to get that one spot. It is the coach that makes the final decision on who gets it so we do try to have a good relationship.”

Arriving at Arsenal in the summer with a injury he picked up at the World Cup in Brazil, he only managed two appearances in his first three months for the club.

He continued

“When you are injured, it is a difficult period. But you have to remain cold-headed and work double or triple harder to get back into shape and back into the game as soon as possible. Obviously, during these difficult periods, being able to count on the help of your family is really important.

“So you hope to recover and get back to 100 per cent so you are ready when an opportunity comes up. As a team, we do have a strong and healthy competition between myself, Wojciech and Emiliano [Martinez] so that is something that inspires us all to always be there and giving it 100 per cent in training sessions.”

Wenger wouldn’t confirm which keeper would start against Monaco in the Champions League but it would seem likely that the man from Medellin will get the nod once again.