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Manuel Almunia

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Manuel Almunia
Personal information
Full name Manuel Almunia Rivero
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 1

Manuel Almunia Rivero (born 19 May 1977 in Pamplona, Navarre) is a Spanish football goalkeeper who currently plays for English Premier League club Arsenal.

Club career

Spain

Almunia started his senior career with CA Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B. He went on to spend two more seasons in the category, with FC Cartagena and CE Sabadell, joining the top flight in 2001–02, with Real Club Celta de Vigo.

However, shortly after joining Celta, Almunia was loaned out to Segunda División side SD Eibar, where he spent 2001–02 as first-choice goalkeeper. During the 2002-03 season, Celta loaned him out to first-division club Recreativo de Huelva, where he played understudy to José Antonio Luque and César, only making two league appearances. Almunia's debut in the first division came on 17 November 2002, following a red card to the latter, in a 0–3 defeat at Deportivo Alavés.[2]

He then returned to Celta, being loaned for the third and final time, now to Albacete Balompié on 1 November 2003. He made his club debut the following week, in a 1–0 loss at Málaga CF. Almunia achieved first-choice status, making a total of 24 league appearances until the end of the season, while helping Albacete finish 14th.[3]

Arsenal

2004–05 season

Almunia signed for Arsenal F.C. for an undisclosed fee on 14 July 2004.[4] He made his debut in a 2–1 League Cup win over Manchester City on 27 October 2004. He played in all the Gunners' competition matches that season, including the quarter-final against Manchester United on 1 December, where he fumbled a save from David Bellion after 19 seconds, gifting him the only goal of the game.

Nevertheless, he went on to make his Premier League debut in a 3–0 win against Birmingham City on 4 December 2004, and also made his UEFA Champions League debut three days later in Arsenal's 5–1 win against Rosenborg BK. During his time as Arsenal's second-choice goalkeeper, Almunia mostly played in Cup matches, where he was able to show his penalty-stopping abilities, including in a win over Sheffield United in the 2004–05 FA Cup, where he made two saves in a penalty shootout after the game finished 0–0, taking the side to the quarter-finals.

2005–06 season

Almunia did not make a single Premier League appearance for Arsenal during the 2005–06 season, but played in five of six matches in the Champions League group stage that season. In the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final against FC Barcelona, Almunia started on the bench but came on as a substitute after Jens Lehmann was sent off. He made a crucial save early on, tipping a shot from Samuel Eto'o onto a post. However, he could not keep Barcelona at bay. Late in the second half, Eto'o was put through and beat Almunia at his near post to get the equaliser, and with 10 minutes left, Juliano Belletti poked the ball through Almunia's legs to score the winner.

2006–07 season

Almunia was a permanent fixture of Arsenal's FA Cup and League Cup runs in 2006–07, playing in the final of the latter. In his only league appearance that season, deputising for an ill Lehmann at home to Liverpool, he kept a clean sheet in Arsenal's 3–0 win. Overall, he seemed much improved from previous outings.

2007–08 season

Following an injury to Lehmann, as well as two high-profile mistakes made by him in the previous two league matches against Fulham and Blackburn Rovers, Almunia was in the starting line-up for Arsenal's third Premier League match of the 2007–08 season, against Manchester City. Almunia continued to deputise for Lehmann throughout September and October 2007, and his performances during the two months allowed him to abruptly become Arsène Wenger's first-choice goalkeeper at the expense of the German international. On 23 October 2007, Lehmann publicly showed his anger by saying that he would have to talk soon if his manager did not let him regain his previous status.[5]

Almunia continued winning over the fans with some high-level performances, with his highlight being a penalty save from Robbie Keane in a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium, on 22 December 2007, helping Arsenal to win the match 2–1. On 3 April 2008, Almunia signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.[6]

2008–09 season

After Lehmann's departure to Vfb Stuttgart during the summer of 2008, Almunia was given shirt number 1 (he previously wore 24) and started 2008–09 as Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper, his old shirt number being given to Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone. He captained the team for the first time, in the UEFA Champions League match against Fenerbahçe S.K., in a 5–2 away success.

International career

Almunia has not played in any international matches, and stated on more than one occasion about his wish to play for England, but only provided that he didn't receive a call-up from Spain first.[7] Almunia qualifies for British citizenship as his wife is English.[8]

Honours

Arsenal

References

  1. ^ "PFA Profile". PFA. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  2. ^ "Almunia - Primera División 2002/2003" (in German and English). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 2008-08-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  3. ^ "Almunia - Primera División 2003/2004" (in German and English). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 2008-08-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  4. ^ "Almunia joins Arsenal". BBC Sport. 2004-07-14. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  5. ^ "Lehmann warns Gunners boss". Sky Sports. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  6. ^ "Almunia agrees Arsenal deal". Sky Sports. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  7. ^ "Almunia eyes international call". Sky Sports. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  8. ^ "Clemence rejects Almunia aim". Sky Sports. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07.

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