Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels added maturity has
seen Wojciech Szczesny become one of the top five goalkeepers in the Premier
League.
The Poland international has become a mainstay of
Arsenal's starting XI this term after spending time out of the side at the back
end of last season.
Szczesny made his 100th Premier League appearance in
Saturday's 2-0 victory over Fulham, and marked the occasion by keeping his 10th
clean sheet of the campaign.
And Wenger believes the 23-year-old is continuing to grow
in stature.
"Certainly a part of his improvement is mental
because he's more mature," the manager told the club's official website.
"His decision-making is cleaner, sharper, quicker.
He was always a very talented boy but because he's intelligent he learns
quickly from experience.
"I'm happy that I always gave him the confidence
because he's developing very well into a very strong goalkeeper and today
certainly nobody would question that he's one of the top five goalkeepers in
the Premier League."
Arsenal top the Premier League after 22 matches, with a
solid defensive unit playing a key part in their success thus far.
The Emirates Stadium outfit have shipped just 19 goals in
the league, with six of those coming in a 6-3 defeat at Manchester City last
month, and Wenger believes a stern backline aids the club going forward.
He added: "That defensive solidity of course is the
basic work you have to do to be efficient at home.
"Maybe what is even more important is to have that
solidarity at home because it gives you time to fatigue your opponent, time to
stretch them, time to dominate them and get the game completely in their own
half.
"The longer that lasts the more you have chances to
score."
Culled from Soccerway
