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Arsenal fans want out-on-loan Newcastle star signed, after Monday display

Swansea City edged a tiny step closer toﷺ the Championship play-off final and pote🐽ntial Premier League promotion with a 1-0 first-leg win over Barnsley on Monday night – and onlooking Arsenal fans were impressed with one player.

Last season, Steve C🤪ooper’s side were stopped by Brentford in the semi-finals – with the Bees eventually losing Scott Parker’s Fulham. The Cottagers have since been relegated back into the Championship from the Premier League.

Swansea will be looking to right that wrong this time aཧround, and they got off to good start in their two-legged affair with arguably the surprise package of the Championship campaign in Barnsley – who finished in the tꦇop six.

It is an amazin🎶g achievement from Barnsley and manager Valerian Ismael, but they came up short against Swansea on Monday night at Oakwell – with Ghanaian veteran Andre Ayew scoring the only goal of the game.

Barnsley v Swansea City - Sky Bet Championship Play-off Semi Final 1st Leg
(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

He curled home a left-footed effort after cutting in from the right,𝕴 but Barnsley had their chances in front of a portion of returning fans. Freddie Woodman, though, was in excellent form for Swansea between the sticks.

The 24-year-old, who is enjoying his second loan spell at the Welsh side from Pr💎emier League club Newcastle United, made a number of crucial saves – but none more so than a second-half stop to deny Callum Brittain.

Having pushed a 20-yard effort from Carlton Morris wide of the goal, Brittain followed up and it looked like a definite goal for the Tykes. But Woodman spru𝓰ng back to h🍃is feet and manage to block the effort down to his left.

Amazingly, that was Woodman’s 22nd clean sheet of the season. Missing just one of 46 Championship games prior✅ to the play-offs, Woodman had only conceded 38 goals in the league and it showed as he starred on Monday.

Barnsley v Swansea City - Sky Bet Championship Play-off Semi Final 1st Leg
//twitter.com/AfcRoo/status/1394400197317382144(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

It💮 is a huge improvement on last season. Clocking up his 50th game of the season, Woodman has kept 22 clean sheets and conceded 44 – whereas last season, he conceded 50 in 43 games, managing just 12 clean sheets.

The London-born goalkeeper remains contracted at Newcastle until the summer of 2023, and should Swansea gain promotion – then they will surely look to keep Woodman permanently. But Arsenal have been r🍨egularly linked.

that Woodman was considered before Mat Ryan 🐷was signed from Brighton, but Newcastle needed to recall him from Swansea and the clause in which to do that had expired by the time Arsenal we🧸re keen.

But doubts have emerged over the future of Bernd Leno, while Ryan only remains on loan until the summer from Brighton. Alex Runarsson has strugg⛎led since moving to The Em♛irates, and a new goalkeeper could be targeted.

Indeed, Arsenal fans are keen to see Woodman added to their squad this summer having watch꧋ed him impress on Monday night in Yorkshire – with many taking t🥀o Twitter to urge their side to sign Woodman in the coming months.

//twitter.com/even_afc/status/1394395478851194887