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Highlights
One Arsenal star has made too many mistakes and as a result, must be replaced against Manchester United.
His performances have dwindled after a sensation 2022/23 campaign for the Gunners.
He was recently named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Arsenal are back in Premier League action today, however, they face a tough task as old rivals reunite at the Emirates, welcoming Manchester United to north London.
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Having endured a stuttering start to the league season, with their two wins coming by just a sole goal, and having surrendered two points to ten-man Fulham just last week, Mikel Arteta will have a real headache regarding how he can turn his team around and get them thriving once again.
Fortunately, the travelling Red Devils have hardly set the world alight either, having come from two goals down most recently to defeat Nottingham Forest at home.
It is expected that the Spaniard could make wholesale changes in an effort to reignite his side’s spark, with players such as Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah surely meriting a start after they shone from the bench against Fulham.
However, there is a far greater call that he must ruthlessly make, by surely handing David Raya his debut and finally ditching Aaron Ramsdale.
Who is Arsenal’s number-one goalkeeper?
When the Gunners swooped for the former Brentford shot-stopper, many questioned the decision to unsettle the England international who had grown into a fine asset under Arteta.
Aaron Ramsdale’s Premier League seasons
Average rating
Arsenal, 2022/23
6.86
Arsenal, 2021/22
6.92
Sheffield United, 2020/21
6.87
AFC Bournemouth, 2019/20
6.90
All stats via Sofascore.
However, at key moments last campaign the 25-year-old buckled, with his start to the season showcasing the continuation of a worrying trend that could be eradicated with the inclusion of Raya.
That, therefore, makes it difficult to pin down exactly who is their number one at this moment in time, especially after last week’s shocker from Ramsdale.
Posting the worst rating of any throughout the Arsenal side, only Calvin Bassey on the entire pitch recorded lower, and he was dismissed after receiving two yellow cards, via Sofascore.
His positioning for Andreas Pereira’s opener was ludicrous, and he was comically beaten from range as he stumbled backwards into his own goal.
Although not registered as an error that led to a goal, it has drawn criticism, with Martin Keown telling BBC Sport: “Ramsdale is so far off his line, he does this so often and I’m not sure why, and Pereira shoots into the near post.”
After all, just last season saw him make two errors that led to a goal, and four that led to a shot on his goal, via Sofascore.
It seems that errors are becoming more and more commonplace in his game, coincidentally proving right the claims of ex-keeper Paul Robinson from even before the £120k-per-week ace had signed for Arsenal: “I think he conceded too many goals at Bournemouth and made too many mistakes, and the same again at Sheffield United. I haven’t seen enough from him yet.”
To compare this with Raya, who last term recorded the most saves in the division whilst also keeping an impressive 12 clean sheets for a far worse side, it seems that a gulf has started to open up between these two elite goalkeepers that could see the Spaniard now star.
It may be a strange tactic to employ two shot-stoppers of this quality in the same side, but in times like these, when Ramsdale perhaps cannot be trusted, it certainly helps to have someone as experienced and exceptional as the 27-year-old to step up.
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