Graphic: Tony Cascarino's ultimate football weekend

Edwin van der Sar is not the only goalkeeper who has raised the bar this season. The Manchester United player has been making headlines with his record-breaking run of 14 clean sheets in the Barclays Premier League, but Manuel Almunia is also in exceptional form.

The Arsenal goalkeeper, 31, has kept a clean sheet in his past four matches and his commanding performances and technical excellence have started to convince some of the doubters at the Emirates Stadium that he has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of David Seaman and Jens Lehmann. “He’s had a good season and I rate him very highly,” Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “He does not get as much support as he deserves but he will if he carries on playing well. With him and Lukasz Fabianski we have two world-class goalkeepers at the club.”

Almunia’s rise from the backwaters of Spanish football to becoming the Arsenal No 1 has not been without its ups and downs. He was spotted by an Arsenal scout while playing at Albacete Balompié on loan from Celta Vigo in 2004 and when he arrived in London, he had a fight on his hands to convince Wenger, Arsenal supporters and Lehmann, the former No 1, that he was good enough to make it in England.

Manager sales - coming to a store near you

Which pitchside workstation would Jose Mourinho plump for from the Acme Dugouts catalogue, 2009

60-second interview: Chris Foy

The Carling Cup final referee on his build-up to the big day and why he hopes he is not the centre of attention at Wembley

• 60-second interview: Jay DeMerit

• 60-second interview: Simon Jordan

• 60-second interview: Peter Ridsdale

Related Links

• Wenger backing his strikeforce

• Premier League video previews: Villa back to full strength

• Arsenal bank on Adebayor to add extra edge

“Lehmann was more into speaking his mind — if we can call it that,” Wenger said. “Almunia is quieter but he speaks now and he is technically sound and physically very strong. Lehmann toughened him up, he learnt a lot from Lehmann. I rate Almunia as highly as any other goalkeeper in the Premier League.”

Lehmann, 39, was up to his old tricks again last weekend during Stuttgart’s 3-3 draw with Hoffenheim. When a Hoffenheim player lost his boot during the game, Lehmann picked it up and threw it on to the roof of his goal, instead of returning it to his opponent. Wenger said: “Lehmann was not diplomatic but he was respected in the dressing-room.”

The German’s short fuse made him a crowd favourite at Highbury and the Emirates Stadium, but not all Arsenal players have impressed the club’s fans this season. Emmanuel Adebayor was targeted for abuse at the start of the season after he spent the summer flirting with AC Milan and Barcelona and Emmanuel Eboué and Nicklas Bendtner have also had a rough ride.

Wenger has called on Arsenal supporters to get behind the team this afternoon as they prepare to face Fulham at home. Arsenal, who have drawn their past three league matches without scoring, are in danger of missing out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1997. “The crowd is more unforgiving and impatient than ever,” Wenger said. “It’s very tough for the players but we have to deal with it. In our job you cannot complain. We have to create the positive vibes and get the fans on our side.”

The manager understands that fans are frustrated that Arsenal are 17 points behind Manchester United, who are top of the table, but he is convinced that his team will be back to their best when players such as Cesc Fàbregas and Theo Walcott return from injury next month. “This year has been tougher than any other but I believe it will help the team to become stronger mentally,” he said. “This season has been disturbing because we didn’t plan to be so far behind.”

Inpenetrable barriers

Manuel Almunia, the Arsenal goalkeeper, was praised yesterday by Arsène Wenger, his manager, for not conceding a goal in nearly 6½ hours behind Edwin van der Sar, who last let in a goal when Hideo Hashimoto scored for Gamba Osaka in the Club World Cup semi-finals on December 18.

Longest present runs for goalkeepers without conceding in all competitions:
Van der Sar (Man United): 18hr 0min Almunia (Arsenal): 6hr 29min
Kirkland (Wigan): 5hr 7min
Fulop (Sunderland): 3hr 21min
Cech (Chelsea): 3hr 21min
Jones (Middlesbrough): 3hr 7min
Howard (Everton): 2hr 52min