Former England and Swansea stopper: What Arsenal did so wrong with Lukasz Fabianski

Jimmy Rimmer says Lukasz Fabianski is second only to Thibaut Courtois as the league's best keeper

FORMER Arsenal and Swansea goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer says Lukasz Fabianski was given the chance to prove himself at Arsenal.

 

Fabianski left Arsenal for Swansea in 2014 after seven years at the north London club.

He made only 31 Premier League starts over that period and has already trumped that figure at the Liberty Stadium.

 

And Rimmer, who played for Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Swansea over his 21-year career, said Fabianski should have been given more games at the Emirates.

“At Arsenal he didn’t really get a good run of games, and if you had a bad game then you were on the bench,” Rimmer told Swansea’s official website.

“At Swansea, he knows he has the belief of the manager and if he has a bad game here and there then he will get the chance to rectify it. 

“They have given him the platform to show his talent, and Fabianski has repaid them for that with his performances both last season and this season too.”

Swansea host the Gunners in tomorrow’s 3pm kick off in the Premier League, having done the double over Arsene Wenger’s men last season.

 

And Rimmer says Fabianski was vital to that success and could be again this weekend.

“Fabianski, for me, was only bettered by Thibaut Courtois last season,” he said.

“It’s a little different playing for Arsenal with the expectations they have there, but he has lots of pressure to deal with at Swansea. People don’t realise that. 

 

“Arsenal will have seen how he has performed at Swansea and accept they made a mistake in leaving him go. 

“That would have really sunk in with the way he performed in the 1-0 win at the Emirates last season. He was outstanding that day. 

“But Swansea have given him exactly what every goalkeeper needs – confidence."