Arsenal boss hails Polish keeper

Wenger believes the 25-year-old is more relaxed as a goalkeeper this season compared to last season.

“He always felt that if he could get a run of games, then he could show everyone how good he is,” Wenger said in The Sun.

“He always felt he was being judged on one game and felt under pressure to show how good he was in one game. Now he is a bit more relaxed. He’s a louder character than you think. In games I’m surprised how much he talks.

“He is what I call a natural goalkeeper and he seems to smell what will happen. He is technically very gifted.

“I think the pressure overwhelmed him last season. It’s difficult to keep the concentration for top-level games when you are never used to that pace.

“The Porto game was very bad for him. But those crises of confidence are a bit less once you are an established name.

“If you are an established name and you make a mistake, then you’ve just had a bad day.

“But if you come into the team and you make a mistake people say you are not good enough. That’s a massive difference.”

He added: “I speak to the players about confidence but the problem for a goalkeeper is it is a special position.

“People speak only about you when you make a mistake. When a central defender makes the same mistake nobody notices.

“That’s why in our job you find the most professional people are the goalkeepers. You never have any problem getting them to practice properly, to focus properly. They know what they have to do.

“I have had Almunia who was No.1 and played in every single game until he was injured. Now it is Fabianski. He is No.1 at the moment.

“You can put yourself into an impossible position as a manager if you drop your goalkeeper every time that he makes a mistake.

“The other keeper who comes in then plays with the sense that if he makes a mistake then he is out too.”