Szczesny is playing housekeeper tonight but he is not sure if the guests will be on his side

 
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Kaz Mochlinski22 October 2013

If Wojciech Szczesny seems in a hurry to leave the pitch at the end of tonight’s game then he has a very good reason for it.

For the Arsenal goalkeeper will have to get home to provide bed and breakfast for more than a dozen family and friends.

Arsenal against Borussia Dortmund is a must see for Polish football followers, pitting Szczesny against Robert Lewandowski, so it is no surprise the goalkeeper has been inundated with requests from Poles coming over to London for it — although the Arsenal No1 fears some of them may not be cheering on the Gunners.

“I’m expecting the arrival of 16 people who have confirmed they will be staying at my house” said Szczesny. “It will be fun. I’m just not sure who all of them will be supporting. If we don’t win, they will all have to find a bed for the night somewhere else.”

He is looking forward a little more to catching up again with Lewandowski, a week after Poland’s 2-0 defeat by England at Wembley. Their friendship means he is well aware of the striker’s failure to score in England or against an English side.

“It will be great to meet up on the pitch with a really good friend,” he said. “When we played against Borussia in the Champions League two years ago, Robert didn’t manage to score. I wouldn’t have anything against the same scenario repeating itself this time. But since then both he and Borussia have made incredible improvements.”

Szczesny has also been making progress after a difficult period in which he first lost his place in the Poland team and was then dropped by Arsene Wenger in March.

“I believe I’m a better goalkeeper than before,” said the 23‑year-old. “I’ve improved my game in the last two years. I can see the benefits of the work we’ve done in training.

“I have complete trust in the Arsenal coaching staff. It might just be that my improvement has not matched up to the way expectations around me have risen.

“I’m not sure how far away I might be from being counted among the top echelon of goalkeepers. I know I have to continue working very hard to develop every aspect of my game. I lost my place in the Arsenal team and had to work very hard for the manager to change his view. But I got my chance again.”

It is all the more satisfying for Szczesny given that the club have been linked with a number of goalkeepers over the past year: Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, Julio Cesar, Asmir Begovic, Michel Vorm and Brad Guzan. However, the Pole says that he is unconcerned.

“I don’t have any influence over rumours and speculation,” he said. “I can only respond to those kinds of things on the pitch. The most important thing for me is the boss’s opinion and whether he retains faith in my abilities. I don’t go and ask about whether a new goalkeeper is being brought in.

“I keep my head down in training, and during matches I try to repay the belief he has shown in me. It’s a debt I owe him. I’m not afraid of having to compete for my place with any other goalkeeper. You can never have too many good quality players, Anyway, I like having obstacles placed in my path, as it just makes you put in more effort to achieve your goals.”

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