With David Ospina injured and Petr Cech unlikely to be risked for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie with Norwich, it looks as if Matt Macey with make his Arsenal debut.
The 23 year-old signed for the club in 2013 having been part of the Bristol Rovers academy, but has yet to make a first team appearance. He has had loan spells at Luton Town and Accrington, and tonight is a chance for him to show Arsene Wenger what he can do in a competitive environment.
The League Cup has traditionally been a way to blood new talent, and ahead of tonight’s game the manager is hoping Macey can make his mark.
“He has outstanding basic qualities because his size is exceptional, but he’s also very quick for a boy of that size,” said Wenger.
“He’s very, very quick, agile, has worked very hard technically and has improved. He has a fantastic mentality.
“The last step is that you have to grab that chance when you get it. I wish that he’s relaxed enough and strong enough now to deal with that.”
With the long-term future of the goalkeeping position something that’s got to be addressed in the not too distant future, there’s a real opportunity for someone.
We’ll see what Macey is made of later this evening, and good luck to him on his debut.
Good luck Matt!
Szcz was 19 when he debuted and was player of the season for Brentford.
So Macey is relatively old at 23 and at 6ft 6inches is a beast physically. If he is very quick and agile too he has a chance.
If he can step forward I’d be happy to let Arsenal off selling Szcz.
Per Luton’s captain:
Cuthbert said: “I think he’s been excellent. It’s always hard for a goalkeeper to come in, especially after big Christian (Walton). “(He’s a) big boy, comes and commands his box and I love that as a defender. “He comes out, he’s dominant and his kicking is good as well. He’s another young lad that’s hopefully got a bright future if he keeps doing well.”
http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/luton-town/hatters-skipper-quick-to-praise-on-loan-gunners-keeper-1-7833776
I suppose the League Cup has some use, as it helps create opportunities for young players. So all the best to the lad.
Most people wouldn’t know but Matt Macey once played for Avon Arsenal, a youth football club based in Bath. I was actually one of the (Bristol & Bath based) Arsenal fan founders of the club in the late 1980’s and was the one who came up with the club name. Avon Arsenal started as an adult club but progressed to junior teams which were eventually taken over by Bath City & renamed. So it was perhaps fate that he’d join Arsenal one day! 🙂
Good name.
Wish we had someone like Ederson.. oozes confidence
Ahead of Macey?
Do you think he’d be OK being number 3 GK with us?
Number 4 when Martinez returns from his loan…
Is Martinez injured? No games for Getafe this season.
It’s great to see the players on the fringes and the younger lads getting regular game time in the cup games. It makes it easier for them to slot in if we ever need them for the starting XI.
Looking forward to seeing how Macey does in front of the home crowd.
COYG
With what is likely to be a makeshift defence in front of him, he has his work cut out! The shut out in Belgrade was more down to Cech than Elneny and his gang. Norwich are no push overs; considering also that they might come with their first team.
I wish him a positively memorable debut though.
AW never afraid to give a young player a chance. Seem to remember he put Szeczny in for his debut in the League at Man U. He had a fair game (lost 0-1)
He went from strength to strength and then unfortunately Capstan Full Strength (one for our older supporters)
One undisciplined incident is no reason to sell a keeper who proved at Roma how good he is and Juve have signed him to replace the best keeper in the world. Arguably Aw’s biggest mistake
Why didn’t Roma just buy him instead?
I’d guess that Juve offered more for him…
My guess is that schz wanted to leave
Oh oh, he specifically mentions “relaxed”