It was barely a year ago that Wojciech Szczesny was being touted as the man to solve Arsenal's long- standing goalkeeper problem.
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Tall, agile, overflowing with self-belief and, at the time, only 21, he had all the attributes to be Arsenal's No 1 for years to come. He was a natural heir to Jens Lehmann, the keeper from the "Invincibles" era.
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Unfortuantely for Szczesny, it's all gone downhill from there.
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After a disheartening European Championship in which he was dropped after his sending-off in the tournament's opening game, a series of errors this season has now cost him his place in Arsenal's team.
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More galling for Szczesny is that the jersey has gone back to compatriot Lukasz Fabianski - and could be in his possession for a while after Fabianski's superb display in a 2-0 win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Friday that Szczesny still has a future at Arsenal - contrary to reports in the British media - but that every position is "up for grabs."
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"Who gave Wojciech a chance from nowhere in the youth teams? It was me because I rate him highly and have a big respect for what he has done," Wenger said. "But we all have ups and down physically and mentally and he has played many, many games this season."
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Szczesny will have noticed Wenger's upbeat assessment of Fabianski, who starred in his first game in more than a year. Bayern was kept scoreless at Allianz Arena for the first time in four seasons.
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"He has changed a lot," Wenger said. "There has been a complete mental transformation in Lukasz's attitude. He is more vocal, has more authority and mentally he absorbs the pressure of the game much better.
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"He has a huge talent, which we know all about. Sometimes to go out of the game for a while helps people to mature and think about their own game. If they really want to become a better player, they think, 'How can I become better.'"
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Fabianksi is likely to be in goal for Arsenal's trip to Swansea in the Premier League on Saturday.
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Szczesny committed few mistakes last season but he seems to have been engulfed in the defensive problems that have undermined Arsenal's current campaign.