Arsenal senior man set to be dropped against Bayern Munich – report
By Matt Farr
Arsene Wenger is set to drop under-fire goalkeeper Petr Cech from his Arsenal side to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, according to a report.
The Telegraph report that the Arsenal chief is poised to keep the faith in deputy stopper David Ospina, who has appeared in all six of their group-stage games earlier in the competition.
Cech has been the No.1 goalkeeper at the Emirates following his move from rivals Chelsea in 2015, but Ospina has been allowed the opportunity to play in cup competitions – including Europe.
But Wenger is understood to be against changing his rotation policy ahead of Wednesday’s game, even in what could be Arsenal’s biggest game of the season.
Cech has come under fire in recent weeks for his performances, making several crucial errors as the Gunners slipped to back-to-back defeats against Watford and Chelsea earlier this month.
Fans called for the Czech Republic international to be axed following his calamitous mistake in the defeat to Chelsea on February 4, but Wenger opted to stick with him for their meeting with Hull a week later.
His form this season no longer flatters him as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers, and far from the commanding presence that has graced the top-flight for over a decade.
Cech has kept eight clean sheets from 25 league games this season, but the Hull shut-out at the weekend was only his fourth since October.
His deputy Ospina, meanwhile, has kept three clean sheets from his eight appearances this term – and Arsenal are yet to lose this season with him between the sticks.
Arsenal face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in the first-leg of their Champions League knockout-round encounter, before the return fixture at the Emirates on March 7.
In other Arsenal news, Stan Collymore has urged Arsenal to bring in this man in the summer.
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