SO, AS one crisis at Highbury apparently ends, another one appears. Two wins in four days, including qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League, keep Arsenal on course in the two main competitions, temporarily silencing a growing band of doubters and critics.

Cue an unexpected goalkeeping problem for the Premiership champions that only Arsène Wenger can solve. Coincidentally, it is a similar worry that Sir Alex Ferguson faces at Manchester United, both managers searching for long-term replacements after the greatness of David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel.

During my 28 years as goalkeeping coach at Arsenal, I cannot remember facing a similar conundrum. Pat Jennings, John Lukic and David Seaman were all goalkeepers of great talent and, more important, players who were never less than outstandingly consistent, the key to great keeping. Now, looking in from the outside, I am as concerned as any avid Arsenal fan that there is a degree of hit and miss about who plays in goal and why.

Jens Lehmann or Manuel Almunia? Last season’s wonderfully capable German, who topped virtually every goalkeeping statistic, or a 27-year-old little-known Spaniard who should be approaching his prime but who looks, to date, a bundle of nerves and technically flawed during his two senior appearances? There is a third option, but it is unlikely that Arsène will pursue it.

Stuart Taylor, one of my protégés, is doing well on loan at Leicester City and trying to rebuild a promising career after a succession of injuries. When he won a championship medal in 2002, as understudy to Seaman and Richard Wright, he was terrific. It is unlikely that he would have made such basic errors of technique that have so far given Almunia a look of such vulnerability.

Arsène and I have long differed about Taylor’s potential. I don’t think we’ll ever know who was right or wrong because it’s unlikely he’ll get a real chance at Highbury.

More immediately, Arsène must decide how much of a chance he gives to Almunia. Two poor goals conceded by the goalkeeper in as many games is not something that the manager would normally tolerate. After all, one of the reasons for dropping Lehmann was his failure to keep out Neil Mellor’s last-gasp winner for Liverpool at Anfield. Hardly a glaring error compared with Almunia’s jitters, but Ars ène is usually a hard taskmaster.

I believe that the Frenchman will be reassessing the whole situation and may well recall Lehmann for Sunday’s match against Chelsea, but he has given himself an almost impossibly difficult call. Almunia is surely due to have a better game and one great performance, plus a touch of luck, against Chelsea could be the making of him.

I also think Arsenal’s defence may well be tighter and more focused with him in goal rather than Lehmann. They know what to expect from Lehmann and are more casual with him behind them.

When there are concerns with a new goalkeeper it has a great way of concentrating the mind of defenders, albeit at a slight loss of attacking potential. Against José Mourinho’s team, Arsenal will definitely need that extra togetherness within the back four. Whether it would be enough to cover Almunia’s frailties totally, should he play, is another matter, as indeed are the blatant and worrying concerns of the Arsenal fans. There is nothing worse than hearing ironic cheers as you save a simple shot. Almunia faced that awful sound against Rosenborg.

Goalkeeping is the greatest test of character within the team. He is either a hero or a mug, depending on performance and the presence that he exudes in the goalmouth. To play at the top of his game, he needs to know that he is trusted completely. Neither Almunia nor Lehmann can believe that trust exists in full right now from their manager.

Arsenal need three points on Sunday to reduce Chelsea’s Premiership lead to a meagre two. With so many points still up for grabs, the result will provide little more than a psychological boost for the winning team and the respective managers.

We await with interest Arsène’s decision on his goalkeeper, but I believe he will revert to Lehmann, hoping that the German will react and respond to the wake-up call he has received just as positively as he did when playing throughout a 49-game unbeaten Premiership run that was almost without blemish.