Manuel Almunia profile
Name
Manuel Almunia
Born
May 19, 1977
Pamplona, Spain
Position
Goalkeeper
Squad Number
1
Previous Club(s)
Osasuna B
Cartagonova
Sabadell
Celta Vigo
Eibar (loan)
Recreativo Huelva (loan)
Albacete (loan)
Joined Arsenal
July 18, 2004
Arsenal Debut
Manchester City (a)
Carling Cup
October 27, 2004
Won 2-1
If any questions remained over Manuel's capacity to play at the highest level, he answered them emphatically last term.
The Spaniard capitalised on Jens Lehmann's early-season injury to establish himself as Arsenal's No 1 goalkeeper.
A run of eight clean sheets in his first 11 appearances gave Manuel confidence and, as the season unfolded, he looked increasingly at home between the posts.
He quickly won over the fans too, making a splendid stop from Robbie Keane's spot-kick at a crucial point in the North London derby at Emirates Stadium just before Christmas. Nicklas Bendtner scored the winner that day but Manuel's heroics provided the platform for a vital victory.
Manuel is renowned for his shot-stopping ability and top-class kicking but he is now commanding his area with increasing authority too.
As one of the oldest members of the squad, his growing leadership qualities will come in handy this season.
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