The contrasting fortunes between Petr Cech and Wojciech Szczesny show that Arsenal is a bad place for goalkeepers to be.
Cech’s error-laden season is perhaps the worst he’s had in his entire career.
The 35-year-old has committed four errors that have lead to an opposition goal in the Premier League this season.
Szczesny, meanwhile, has committed just three errors during his two-and-a-half years in Italy.
Petr Cech has committed more errors that have led to an opposition goal in the Premier League this season (4) than Wojciech Szczesny has in his two-and-a-half years in Serie A (3)
— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) February 13, 2018
There are many factors involved here besides the individual ability of both keepers.
One is that Cech is more exposed at Arsenal than Szczesny currently is at Juventus.
The fact that Cech has to get through more work on a game-to-game basis means he’s more liable to make mistakes.
Another factor is that Cech was already declining when he arrived at the club, while Szczesny had a lot of room to improve.
It’s telling that Szczesny has done so well away from the club.
The Polish international has spoken about the differences in coaching, and how a focus on small details has made him a better player.
Meanwhile, keepers continue to get worse at Arsenal.
It’s an alarming trend, and one that has been going on for too long.