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Fabianski or Szczesny for the FA Cup final?

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Arsene WengergerAlthough we won’t be lifting the Premier League title this year, we still have a chance of ending our near-nine year trophy drought by overcoming Hull City and winning the FA Cup in mid-May.

Needless to say, the FA Cup final is pretty much a big deal for every Arsenal fan. To win it would put an end to those who have mocked us about how long it has been since the last time silverware entered our trophy cabinet and hopefully put us in good stead to go on next season, and seasons to come, and continue to bag trophies. To lose it however, would be disastrous. Not just for the club, but for the player’s and manager. It would also see us (fans) wondering when the next time we will see our side win silverware.

So the team selection for this match has to be spot on by Arsene Wenger, and the Frenchman’s tactics and game plan will have to be equally so.

When we have a fully fit squad, everyone pretty much knows who our best 11 are. However, Wenger has a bit of a dilemma when it comes to picking who starts between the sticks, with the Frenchman recently admitting he doesn’t know who he will pick out of regular Wojciech Szczesny or summer departee Lukasz Fabianski for the final next month.

When asked by the press on who he will start in goal against Steve Bruce’s side at Wembley, Wenger said:

‘At Hull it will be Szczesny. At Wembley? I don’t know yet, so much can happen.

‘I think what is important is the next game in football and the next game is Hull.

‘The cup final is in one month. Who knows what will happen in the next month.”

Fabianski has been deployed as the ‘minor’ cup keeper by Wenger this season while Szcz has been our Premier and Champions League shot-stopper. And although Szcz looks the obvious choice, playing more games and being more consistent as a result, it would be very cruel to see Fabianski on the bench for the final, having been the hero in the FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout against Wigan last weekend.

Although Szczesny stated he would love to be apart of the fixture against Hull City at Wembley, the 24-year-old also insisted he wouldn’t mind being a benchwarmer just as long as Arsenal end the trophy drought:

‘I’m an Arsenal fan and I just want us to get the trophy. It’s not about me playing.

‘Lukas has been doing really, really well and he was our hero at Wembley so I was happy for him.

‘For us it’s important to get a trophy and hopefully we can appease everyone at the club.’

Personally, the fair thing to do would be to start Fabianski in the final. He booked our ticket to Wembley by saving two penalties the other weekend and it’s only right that he starts. Yes, Szczesny is the more obvious choice, but Wenger has relied on Fabianski up to this point of the competition, so why not in the final?

Let us know your thoughts on the matter below

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10 comments

  • RealG says:

    Fabianski to start all day long!!!! Szczesny is a decent keeper but in big games he is terrible! If you analyse the majority of goals we conceded against citeh, liverpool, chelski…szczesny was at fault or didnt even make an effort!
    Fabianski, he has made some mistakes in the past but he actually puts the effort in!! Szczesny is too arrogant and cocky! I still think Szczesny is the better keeper but he is not in form! Fabianski should be first choice in the league at the moment as well! he has done nothing wrong all season! In fact, he has been man of the match in the last 3/4 fa cup games we played! So he deserves to play in the final!
    The only thing I have against Fabianski is that he has not signed a new deal so surely if he is thinking of leaving then he might not care as much as Szczesny will in winning! but that applies to Sagna to and I’d rather play him then Jenks… then again you can flip that and say that both players want to end their arsenal careers with a trophy…they are top pros as well so should be playing their best every game..
    For me, Fabianski to start 100%!!

  • lopez says:

    Fabianski has played every cup game and has been brilliant…no point of playing Szczesny as i feel that Fabianski gets to play less games and has improved to the point that i cannot decide who is the better goalkeeper. I remember Fabianski replacing Szczesny for a string of games the last two seasons and he looked very composed and solid as hell…maybe…just maybe…Fabianski should become our number 1 to put some pressure on Szczesny.

  • DarlingbudsofArse says:

    FABIANSKI for me! If Arsene picks WS then I’d hope we lose as it cannot be fair.

  • aa says:

    Fabianski only if hes staying next season otherwise Szczesny

  • romeo john says:

    U guys are a bunch of stupid ingrate including wenger. Surely Arsenal will lose that game if fabianski is benched That’s law of karma

  • romeo john says:

    I urged wenger to bench fabianski bcox we will be defeated and surely he will kiss his job goodbye to France or wherever. who cares?

  • Olamilekan says:

    Fabianski should b our number 1 keeper nt WS

  • DarlingbudsofArse says:

    FABIANSKI all day long for me!!!!!!!!

  • mohammed says:

    yhu are a bunch of arrogant piss of shit,,, if u respond to that comments again. Am gonna have to kick ur ass. bro

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