In the same week that Polish youngster Wojciech Szczesny secured a lucrative five-year deal at the Emirates which will see him earn 15 times more, Arsene Wenger assured crocked goalkeeper Manuel Almunia that he still has a future at the club.

33-year-old Almunia, who has never been capped for Spain, has been under heavy criticism for much of the past few years, having been at fault for a myriad of high-profile goalkeeping blunders.

And following a string of unforgettable bloopers, Wenger opted to hand back-up 'keeper Lukasz Fabianski , who he holds in high regard, the chance to prove he can become a reliable number one for the Gunners.

But the Polish shot-stopper failed to make an impression last year as he was held responsible for numerous shocking fumbles of his own, such as in the match against Porto in the Champions League, in which he was guilty of both goals Arsenal conceded.

Fabianski had clearly lost his confidence shortly after being handed a starting spot and earned the unflattering nickname “Flappianski” by Arsenal supporters.

His inability to command his area by coming off the goal line to catch or punch away a cross, often mistiming his move in comic fashion, meant that Arsenal 's opponents had begun commonly employing long-ball tactics to take advantage of the acute weakness between the Gunners' posts.

Shaky performances from both Fabianski and Almunia, attracting criticism from supporters and pundits alike, reportedly led boss Wenger to dig into the transfer market over the summer in the hope of signing an experienced goalkeeper to come in and make an instant impact.

Arsenal had been linked to a host of 'keepers, most notably Fulham's Mark Schwarzer , who was reportedly on the brink of securing the move, and Manchester City's Shay Given .

With Arsene Wenger failing to deny interest in Schwarzer, rumours of the French manager's lack of faith in Almunia intensified and it seemed to only be a matter of time before a replacement was announced.

But efforts to bring in a new shot-stopper ultimately dissolved, and surprisingly, the manager handed Almunia a starting spot for the first match of the 2010/2011 season, against Liverpool at Anfield, claiming the Spaniard had shown enough in training to be relied upon as Arsenal 's first-choice 'keeper for the season.

A significant share of Arsenal fans had voiced their disappointment with the decision to stick with a player they believed had not proved himself worthy of a starting spot at the successful club.

During the shock 3-2 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion in late September, in which Almunia was arguably at fault for all three goals the team conceded, the 33-year-old injured his shoulder, and he has been out of contention since.

Fabianski again received the opportunity to show his “world-class potential”, in the words of Arsene Wenger, and this time has left a much more positive impression, despite his part in Andy Carroll's winner at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners succumbed to another surprise home loss.

And to push Almunia's place in the team further away, up stepped Wojciech Szczesny , a 20-year-old Polish keeper who is undoubtedly being cultivated as Arsenal 's future number one.

The 1.96m-tall man had returned from a highly successful loan spell at Brentford, picking up the Player of the Year award for the League One side and coming off in the last match of the season to a round of applause from impressed supporters.

The confident youngster has closely monitored the performances of the other goalkeepers at the club, and stated his belief that, even at his age, he was too good for a second-string role at the club and would look elsewhere for first-team football if he was denied a chance to prove it.

With Szczesny's contract soon running out, Wenger subsequently decided to hand him a start against Newcastle United in the recent Carling Cup match, his second start for the side in the competition, and Arsenal fans had the chance to take a closer look at the third candidate to take over the goalkeeping role.

Szczesny looked authoritative, showed excellent reflexes and fine positional sense as he was influential in shutting Newcastle out and ensuring the visitors kept a clean sheet on the way to a 4-0 thrashing.

Watch his performance here:



Widely regarded as one of the most promising goalkeepers on the European continent, the Warsaw-born talent was signed on a new five-year deal, reportedly taking his wage up from £2k to £30k per week, highly indicative of the plan to see him become Arsenal 's main man between the sticks.

With Fabianski showing gradual improvement in an Arsenal shirt, and Szczesny assured a fair attempt to secure the role, Almunia's place in the side looks in danger. When asked if the injured 'keeper might have played his last game for Arsenal , Wenger kept a diplomatic approach.

"Of course Almunia has a future at the club," he said. "He has been out for a long time, but he must come back and show the performances in training and his quality.”

But the Frenchman's attempt to bring in a replacement over the summer and the new contract handed out to the talented young Polish goalkeeper are clear signs of Almunia becoming out-of-favor at the London club.

Arsene Wenger is not the type of manager to criticise his players in the media, but at this point it would only be logical for Arsenal to keep faith in the progressing Fabianski, with Wojciech Szczesny starting in Carling Cup matches and waiting in the wings for an opportunity to break into the side.