Anytime I think about Lukasz Fabianski, my mind goes to his FA Cup penalty-saving heroics against Wigan in the FA Cup semifinal. The Gunners had gone nine pain-staking years without a trophy and we would have gone into meltdown if Wigan, a team in the lower division had won that game. With Wojciech Szczesny a regular in the Premier League and Champions League, Fabianski was offered a run-out in the domestic cup competitions and he made the best out of the situation.
The Polish goalie wasn’t satisfied with playing second fiddle to his younger Polish compatriot and at 29, he needed to be featuring consistent to get a chance to be the No. 1 goalie for his nation. When Swansea came calling, Fabianski grabbed the opportunity with both hands, stating that he left Arsenal because he wanted to be No. 1 at Swansea.
Fabianski’s cause was helped when Swansea’s first-choice goalie, Michel Vorm, was sold to Tottenham, making him the undisputed number one at the Welsh club. He was an ever-present in Swansea’s squad last season, making 137 saves in the Premier League and keeping 13 clean sheets. On the 11th of May, Fabianski arrived at the Emirates but he was on the other side. That night, he unleashed his inner Manuel Neuer and put up a Man of the Match performance, making 10 saves as Swansea left the Battle of the Emirates with all three points.
Fabianski had a couple of words to say after the game,
“I spent seven years here and I have loads of friends here so to play against them was a strange experience, and sometimes it even felt like a training game. It was tricky. You never know how you are going to feel until you experience something. It was strange arriving at the ground and seeing all the people, but there was a game to play and I had to be focused.”
“I am past that frustration (at Arsenal). It has been a long time since I left Arsenal so I am just enjoying my position at the moment at Swansea. I am very happy with my decision to come here and I am really proud of the team’s performance.”
Swansea finished in eighth place and Fabianski played a vital role in the club’s high position in the league. His performances earned him a new contract with the club, extending his stay till June 2019.
At the start of the new campaign, Swansea made a couple of signings with Andre Ayew, Eder and Franck Tabanou being the highest-profile players the club purchased in the transfer window.
However, the Swans couldn’t replicate the form of last season and after quite an impressive start with two wins and two draws from their first four Premier League games, the club slumped with eight defeat in the next 12 games which led to the departure of Garry Monk. In the cup competitions, Swansea struggled badly, losing to lowly Oxford United in the FA Cup and Hull City in the League Cup. Since Francesco Guidolin took over, Fabianski retained his place in goal but their form isn’t really improved as they are currently in 16th place.
Tomorrow, Fabianski will visit the Emirates again as the Gunners host the Welsh club in their bid to inject some steam to their fading title challenge. The Pole has featured consistently for the club, keeping six clean sheets and conceding 36 goals in 27 games. In this period, Fab has made 82 saves, including 12 in the game against Tottenham last weekend.
I would be hoping that he won’t be at his best tomorrow but it’s fair to say that Lukasz Fabianski is…
Living the life after Arsenal.
Sayonara.
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