As the saying goes, 'luck is when preparation meets opportunity.' In order to rise through the ranks at the top level in football, there is certainly a degree of luck required for most professionals. Sometimes, the misfortune of one teammate becomes an opportunity for another. Case example, Petr Cech and Bernd Leno.
The retention of Petr Cech being the main man between the sticks at the start of the season and Unai Emery's tenure came as a surprise (and in particular cases an annoyance) to some given the acquisition of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen this past summer. There is no mistake about it that Leno was signed to be the future number one seeing Cech is fundamentally in his twilight years. However, there were question marks over who would be in the role to start Emery's maiden voyage in the Premier League. Personally, I wasn't surprised seeing the 36 year old veteran keep his place. He still remains as a sufficient overall goalkeeper with solid shot stopping ability, adequate awareness commanding and nullifying aerial threats, and not to mention extensive Premier League experience.
Many wondered what it would take for Unai Emery to hand Bernd a chance in the Premier League. Cech was (putting it softly) a bit out of his comfort zone with Emery's style of playing out of the back. There were few close calls that almost ended up as highlight reel howlers. But in all honesty, he hadn't done anything to lose his place, unless he pulled a Szczesny smoking in the showers. Then came Watford at home on the 29th of September. Petr Cech pulls his hamstring. As he was replaced, I thought to myself... this is Leno's chance. He'll get a decent run of games. Will he seize the opportunity?
Here we are, five matches since he came on against Watford. Overall, I would give him a very solid 7.5 out of 10 rating. In the six matches he's featured, we've conceded six goals (take into consideration the two spot kicks against Crystal Palace). We should also consider that we haven't lost a match, and he's put in some top performances, especially most recently being man of the match against Wolves.
Many questioned his shot stopping abilities when he was signed. However, performances during this run of matches have certainly put that reservation to bed. He was signed with a renowned reputation for his ball distribution, which by no means has disappointed. He's calm, collected, and has a slick range of passing that can be a catalyst in starting our moves from the back. The German is also quite quick off his line, which is an area where he has the edge on the aging Cech. A particular instance in the late stages against Wolves is a perfect demonstration as he closed down Adama Traore after he was clear of Rob Holding.
An aspect of his game that does require some improvement and maybe where Cech has an edge is awareness in commanding his area, specifically aerial threats. There was an occasion against Liverpool where he was guilty of misjudging the situation and found himself in no mans land. Fortunately, van Dijk was unable to finish. For a goalkeeper, I don't think he's quite in his prime years yet, so we should expect improvement, specifically in this area as he gains more experience.
So has he seized the opportunity? My answer is a firm, yes and I would be extremely surprised if we were to see Cech starting when the interlull concludes. Leno has done well through his first stint as Arsenal's number one. Hopefully he remains consistent, growing and progressing as he retains the role.
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