Arsenal head to Upton Park for the final time this lunchtime and Arsene Wenger has sprung a major selection surprise by picking David Ospina over the fit-again Petr Cech.
Ospina has been deputising for the injured Cech in recent weeks, but with Cech now back to full fitness, it was assumed he would return against a West Ham side posing the dual threats of Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll.
Instead, Wenger has kept faith with Ospina. Earlier this season, Cech returned to fitness in a Champions League game against Olympiakos, only for Wenger to keep faith with Ospina: a game which ended in the diminutive 'keeper carrying the ball over his own goal-line in the nadir of 3-2 defeat.
Not sure about the decision to pick David Ospina when West Ham will be hanging the ball up for Andy Carroll. 🤔🤔🤔
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) April 9, 2016
Fearing a repeat performance against the Hammers, the Arsenal fan reaction ranged from surprise to incontrollable rage.
Ospina has done nothing wrong & so keeps his place
Joel Campbell done nothing wrong & is completely dropped out of the squad— Bergkamp & Bergkamp (@Orangeiceman10) April 9, 2016
Ospina has done well in recent weeks but, sorry Arsene, you play Petr Cech if he's available...
— Sam Limbert (@SamLimbert10) April 9, 2016
Ospina's recent form is irrelevant; Cech is the superior keeper and he should be starting, if fit. Arsène's not doing himself any favours.
— FK (@fkhanage) April 9, 2016
Arsenal unchanged. That means Ospina in goal. I can understand keeping a winning team. But not with a world class keeper like Cech on bench.
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) April 9, 2016
Ospina Is Starting Instead Of Cech!! Congratulations To Leicester On Winning The BPL!!! 😔😔😒 #WhyArsene
— 🤴🏿 (@J_Watson17) April 9, 2016
Wenger playing Ospina over Cech. Like he just wants Arsenal fans to hate him
— BIG DAVE (@JayFarrant1) April 9, 2016
Is this merely an example of Wenger's loyalty? Or is just another act in Wenger's seemingly endless torture of Piers Morgan?
If Cech's fit, he HAS to play over Ospina.
No1 'keeper is No1 'keeper. End.
Wenger's a buffoon. #afc pic.twitter.com/McKNH7YsBv— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 9, 2016
Hilarious. We were quite taken with one of the responses to Morgan's tweet:
@piersmorgan Don't celebrate Ospina's saves then.
— Amy (@Amydd1) April 9, 2016
We have a feeling that Morgan might well not celebrate. We feel he is the type of man who prefers to be proved right rather than to be happy.
