David Ospina Has a Chance to Shine Following Wojciech Szczesny's Suspension

When David Ospina signed for Arsenal in July, Arsene Wenger said that he would challenge Wojciech Szczesny for the team's sole spot between the sticks, per Richard Arrowsmith of the Daily Mail.

That is completely fair, and it is meritocracy at its absolute finest.

For too long, Arsenal have suffered from a dearth of quality in several key positions. Though defense and defensive midfield have not been taken care of, this is the first season in a very long time that Arsenal fans can genuinely feel assured about their goalkeeping options.

Ospina is just as experienced as Szczesny—arguably more so due to his excellent track record in this past summer's World Cup. He is a confident and assured netminder, and while perhaps not as naturally gifted as Szczesny, he is a more intelligent player.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

There is a tendency among some pundits to reflexively criticize Szczesny simply because they are used to using faulty Arsenal goalkeeping from seasons past as an easy dig at the club.

However, the evidence clearly indicates that the Pole is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. He shared the Golden Glove with Petr Cech last season, and he might well have won it if he had been allowed to start the last game of the season—the only one he missed.

Szczesny is rangy with excellent reflexes. Like most goalkeepers, he makes his best saves when he has little time to contemplate what he is going to do and simply acts based on instinct.

However, he is still prone to the occasional rush of blood to the head. We saw against Galatasaray one manifestation of his poor judgment and rash decision-making.

Given exceptionally little to do all game by a totally impotent opponent, Szczesny made the single worst decision possible when called upon in a one-on-one situation for the first time all night.

He rushed forward and attempted to pick the ball off the forward's feet, but he was a tad too late.

Realizing his mistake, he attempted to reel his arms back in, but his attempt was in vain. He was given a red card for his mistake, while Galatasaray were awarded a penalty.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Szczesny will consequently serve a one-game suspension in the Champions League against Anderlecht.

This is an absolutely golden opportunity for David Ospina. He needed Szczesny to slip up to get an opportunity, and finally the man in front of him has made a mistake. These chances are extremely scarce.

It is all the more important because Arsenal were knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Southampton, slashing the amount of playing time Ospina will get if he does not unseat Szczesny. The next cup competition Arsenal feature in is the FA Cup, which does not start for the Gunners until January.

Ospina has the chance to present himself as a calm and mature alternative to Szczesny, making the manager feel better about starting him and most importantly giving him just a couple more games in which he can show what he is capable of.

Since Ospina has only featured for a little over a match thus far, he needs more game time for Wenger to make a proper assessment of him relative to Szczesny.

If he excels against Anderlecht, the boss might feel compelled to give him that chance.

Follow @charliemelman