Goalkeepers tends to possess a high level of confidence which is necessary in such an isolated position.
Arsenal have struggled in the goalkeeping area for years but with Bernd Leno they’ve had a reliable shot stopper who rarely makes mistakes.
But with a poor error which saw Everton take all three points at Emirates Stadium on Friday, manager Mikel Arteta has a huge decision to make ahead of the upcoming Europa League semi-final against Villarreal.
"It gave me confidence but it was not a big decision because the manager and also the club said all the time that they count on me, that I am the No 1 and will be the No 1," Leno said in April when asked about Arteta's backing.
“Even if they expected it would have been a bigger injury, they told me to be calm and that they build around me so not to worry. That's always a good sign from the club, that they can rely on you. It gave me a lot of confidence and I'm very thankful to the club that they helped me a lot.”
Now 29-years-old, Leno is coming into what many would consider the peak of his career.
However, since the 2018-19 season the German international has made eight errors leading to goal, level with Manchester United shot stopper David De Gea - and one more than Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.
Perhaps it's not a huge surprise that De Gea is high up on the error list after regressing over the past years at United, while Leno's inclusion can also be linked to Arsenal's ever-changing defence over the past couple of seasons.
But with major errors such as the one against the Toffees, can Arsenal afford to start Leno in such a crucial European tie?
"We have two really good goalkeepers and Mat got a chance because he deserved it," said Arteta after the Everton game.
"Bernd is our no.1 goalkeeper, he's been doing well and errors are part of football."
Leno has made several errors in big games this season.
Most recently Jarrod Bowen squirmed an effort under his body as Arsenal drew 3-3 with West Ham at the London Stadium.
During the 2-1 defeat to Wolves in February it was Leno who ended up getting sent off for handling the ball outside of the box.
His distribution has also come into question with Arteta keen on the German playing out from the back.
Olympiacos scored against the Gunners in Greece last month after Leno's pass put Dani Ceballos under pressure following an attempt to play out.
And the game at Turf Moor last month saw Chris Wood take advantage of a mix-up between Granit Xhaka and Leno.
After Mat Ryan played against Fulham last weekend, Arteta said:
"We put Mat in goal because he trains like a beast.
"He’s been really positive around the place. He is doing really well and he deserves a chance as well.”
The Australian no.1 continues to push for a starting berth and with the only obstacle in his way being Leno, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Ryan get another chance before the season ends.
Arteta will make the final decision in the final days leading up to the game, but Leno's inconsistency may force the Spaniard into making a massive team selection call for Arsenal's most important two games of the season.
