Mikel Arteta declared last week that his team lacked any number ones. The Arsenal manager’s first choice goalkeeper for the time being, however, is Aaron Ramsdale.
Unknown is how long that will continue to be the case. The choice to pay Brentford a £3 million loan fee to bring David Raya to the Emirates Stadium with the expectation that Arsenal will take up the option to make the move permanent for a further outlay of £27 million has cast doubt on Ramsdale’s future as Arteta’s primary goalkeeper.
Last season, Ramsdale’s status was undeniable. Despite having questionable distribution, Matt Turner was a capable backup who performed admirably when needed in FA Cup and Europa League matches. However, the US international was never going to contribute more than a supporting role, so it was not unexpected when he left for Nottingham Forest this summer.
But now Ramsdale finds himself in a situation that reminds him of when he first moved to north London from Sheffield United two years ago to compete with Bernd Leno for a spot in the first team. The Gunners lost their first three games after a poor start, but Ramsdale entered the lineup and quickly established himself in that spot.
A goalkeeper with a much stronger resume than Turner is attempting to challenge the England international, who is doing his best to avoid being pushed around. At Selhurst Park, Arteta remained loyal to Ramsdale even though the Spaniard was forced to make a decision between the two for the first time since Raya’s arrival. However, as the season progresses and the Gunners deal with the added pressure of Champions League competition, this won’t always be the case.
Arteta is fully aware that raising standards throughout his team is necessary if his team is to compete alongside European football’s elite club and further close the gap on Manchester City after their unsuccessful Premier League title bid last season. Additionally, the manager’s character makes sure that sentiment won’t have any influence on his judgment.
Ramsdale seemed ready for a fight when Raya’s potential membership in the club was first mentioned. When the Spaniard was first connected with the team, he said, “Bring it on.
The game of football is difficult.
You must also move forward and adapt at the same time. When I changed clubs, I had done it to other people. I won’t believe that it will never happen to me as a result. Ramsdale’s performance last season wasn’t always consistent, and he occasionally had a slump at the beginning and end of the season. But there was no denying that he helped Arsenal improve last year.
Ramsdale’s excellent distribution is crucial to his team’s ability to score on the break, and Raya’s relationship with goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana means that his skills are already well known at his new team because the two previously worked together at Brentford. When he has the ball at his feet, the Spaniard always appears at ease, and at his previous club, he showed that he was capable of controlling the situation and collecting a high ball.
Different strengths, both goalkeepers have room for improvement, and Arteta is hoping that having the two players on his team will enable them to do just that. The manager remarked, “Believe me, your level increases when you have to give it everything every day.”. We have two excellent goalkeepers, two excellent left wingers, two excellent holding midfielders, and two excellent strikers. No position has a number one; it does not exist. “.
Peter Schmeichel, however, has this week questioned the wisdom of fostering such a hostile environment for the top spot. .
According to the former Manchester United goalkeeper, “the goalkeeper’s position is very reactive.”. “You have to wait for things to happen; you cannot create anything on your own. You don’t want to have to go out and do things just to satisfy your goalkeeper’s desire to demonstrate his superiority to the other goalkeeper. ” .
Ramsdale appeared to have few opportunities to shine based on the way Arsenal started the game on Monday night. The goalkeeper was finally forced into action after watching for the first 15 minutes, performing an acrobatic dive to parry Jordan Ayew’s cross even though he was unable to direct the ball away from the goal. A minute later, he confidently collected the ball after diving sharply to his right to block an effective shot from Eberechi Eze.
Prior to sprinting off his line to snuff out a close-range opportunity in the waning seconds of extra time, Ramsdale remained largely unbothered, with his main involvement limited to receiving and redistributing from and to his defenders.
Greater challenges lie ahead as Ramsdale adjusts to the presence of his new teammate, but a self-assured clean sheet helped make his case that he should keep the shirt.
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