Brentford wanted to ensure that Arsenal did not score an early goal, as the Gunners have done so often in previous matches. However, Mikel Arteta’s men were aggressive on the attack at the start of the game, and it took some fine defensive work to keep the game level after ten minutes.
Around the 16th-minute mark, a passage of play opened up that could have seen either team score. Ivan Toney’s header was saved by Aaron Ramsdale, who then initiated an Arsenal counter-attack. However, Leandro Trossard’s legs failed him when he needed them the most, and Brentford survived.
Two minutes later, Arsenal’s excellent start paid off as Declan Rice attacked a fine ball from Ben White with a header to open the scoring. The Gunners kept pushing and opening up the Bees, with Kai Havertz receiving a stunning pass that opened up the Brentford defence. However, the German could not find a finish.
Just when it looked like Aaron Ramsdale was having a brilliant game, he delayed clearing a ball, and Yoane Wissa blocked his clearance to score an equalizer for Brentford just before halftime. He had all the time in the world to clear his lines, and most Arsenal fans now know why he will never be number one over David Raya.
Arsenal resumed the second half intent on regaining the lead and turned the screw on the Bees, earning corner after corner in the opening ten minutes of the half. However, Ramsdale was forced to pull off a stunning save after being caught far out of his goal by Ivan Toney, who would have scored a goal-of-the-season contender at the halfway line had it gone in.
Arsenal remained on top and continued to force Brentford to defend, with Mark Flekken forced into one save after another. Mikel Arteta eventually added another player to his attack, replacing Jorginho with Gabriel Jesus. After Arsenal’s sustained moments of pressure, Brentford forced Ramsdale into yet another stunning save after a superb header from Nathan Collins.
At this stage, Arsenal needed a moment of magic to regain the lead, and it was they who came closest to scoring next, with Rice rattling the crossbar with a superb effort from long range. With ten minutes of normal time left, Arteta made more changes, with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Reiss Nelson coming on for Trossard and Jakub Kiwior.
Just when it seemed like Arsenal were heading for a draw, Havertz popped up with one of his most important career goals, giving the Gunners the lead again with four minutes of normal time to play. Late on, Arsenal had a shout for a penalty checked by VAR, but it was not given. The Gunners did not need it as Arteta’s men held on to secure a win and temporarily claimed the top spot on the Premier League table before Liverpool plays.
Just made it
But as I always say a win is a win
We can’t win every match 6-0
It takes a champion to win big and to win tight matches
Now we can enjoy the Liverpool vs City match
COYG!!!!!!
Exactly! On point.
Now I have started believing!
Sixty five million down the drain the Big German gets the winner again, to think the last time i utter this a fan rant so hard admin threaten to ban same.
Arsenal will win the EPL.
Chelsea will win the mid table League
Man United will win the league of extra ordinary Gentlemen.
Everyone wins at the end of the day!!!!
What a great performance by Arsenal again. Can you imagine 72% of ball possession to 28%. I believe Arsenal will lift the premier league cup at the end of this season.
Saka was too eager to have his name on the scoresheet that he wasted some excellent opportunities for assist
Really happy for the points, too much pressure to go top and we answered in kind. Ramsdale forgiven or should I say bailed out by Havertz and Co.
It’s apparent that Thomas Frank set his team up to emulate the way Porto played us. But it didn’t work…
It nearly did NY. I see no problem with the way Brentford played, they have to try and do their best with what they have. I think the Arsenal payers, relished the battle, it makes it fun.
👍 Reggie, smart managers adopt a winning formula; it is up to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to overcome these tactics.
Arsenal can’t afford 2-1 against FC Porto, because the game then goes to penalties.
Porto are bang average Ozzie, we should 🤞 blow them away.
FC Porto are not bang average
We are better than them, clearly
Really!!!!!! Not a lot different than i was saying. And they are bang average. They are mid table in the Portuguese league.
3rd in the league is hardly midtable, Reggie.
You are right, my apologies. They were mid table after a poor start. I still think they are nothing special.
@Reggie
I feel ya. By any means necessary…Jus sayin
I am a fan of Ramsdale and got annoyed with the arrival and use of Raya, now, MA has now given me the reason for benchimg him.
Do you remember Raya has made this exact same mistake as well, upon arrival, only he was fortunate it didn’t result in a goal? But he’s improved and calmed nerves with playing time? You realize also that Ramsdale hasn’t played for a while too? Don’t you realize that this can happen when you haven’t played competitive football for quite some time?
Ramsdale was excellent today with some fine saves. Only problem was due to match rustiness which unfortunately cost us a goal. Otherwise he was great
You do realize that Ramsdale committed similar stinkers, every season he’s been with us, played or not?
And the mistakes he’s made are something so ridiculous even I’ve never done as a goalkeeper in my 20 years in the local league.
It’s annoying how people solely blame ramsdale for the goal and not the liquor and Gebriel who combined to setup the howler
I’m sorry but I have to disagree
Whatever happened before, Ramsdale should have done better than he did. There was enough time to make a better decision
Of course there was Sue.
I LIKE Ramsdale immensely, but cannot in truth excuse an almost VERY costly mistake so easily.
It almost cost us two ponts and though he also made two fine saves in the second half, that was only doing what he is paid to do.
We ought to demand better than that stupid mistake. which he got away with by the skin of his teeth. I have always supported him and still much like him.
But his costly errors have become too common and no wonder MA prefers RAYA, to that sloppy play!
Sue. Should we blame Ramsdale for the mistake? Or the situation?
He only plays every few months against Brentford, pretty much. He isn’t and cant be match ready. He is thrown to the Lions, when he plays. He cant win. I dont blame him for his error.
Reggie
I have given my opinion on the error and haven’t changed it
When Leno got injured I was horrified but lo and behold- in came Martinez and knocked me for 6.
Ramsdale spends hours and hours a week training and his error was .. an error which shouldn’t have happened. Whatever compassion I have for him (which I do) can’t alter the fact that he should have done better. It was an opportunity for him to showcase himself
Sue, I have great respect for your opinion. Mine is based on playing football and rustyness, that is there when not playing. Ive experienced it and im sure Ramsdale would too.
Training is exactly that. Not match game time. He has not played since November
People jumping on his back yet for sure Raya wouldn’t have saved Tony’s shot.
So in my eyes he mucked up on one though saved two.
Someone saying he is paid to save shots but blaming for a mistake clearly doesn’t understand sport and has never played at a high level…. those were great saves … that’s like saying if a player scores an amazing goal we won’t applaud him because he is paid to score !
Hang on a minute.
I was only commenting on the error. I have been fulsome in my praise in other posts for the excellent saves Ramsdale made, but the error was totally avoidable. He was not put under undue pressure but took too long to make his mind up.
I grant you, I have not played sport at a high level, but I have played lots of different sports and have been following Arsenal for close to 60 years so I have a reasonable idea of what is going on.
So Sue, you would realise, Ramsdale would be rusty. Its your opinion to say, you blame him and thats fine. But he had/has a legitimate excuse. If he had played all season and made that mistake, i couldn’t excuse him.
Ok Reggie
How about Nelson or Cedric in particular who came on recently as both only get snippets of game time here and there ? How often did
Martinez start before Leno got injured? There is much made of Liverpool’s injury crisis when the ‘kids’ got a chance to shine and did so. I just feel that goalkeeping is a different discipline to being an outfield player. After all, Ramsdale didn’t look rusty when he made those excellent saves
I’m not trying to knock him because he has been dealt a difficult hand which must be hard
Reggie, he made great saves in the match right ?
Since he was rusty, he shouldn’t be able to make saves – if that’s the line of thought we should follow
He made quality saves though rusty but made a babyish mistake
That mistake is not down to rustiness, it’s down a split second of lack of concentration – which he always had even when he was playing week-in week-out
Would we say his rustiness disappeared after his error ?
He was still rusty but decided to become more focused till the end of the game
Lack of focus is what caused that blunder
When Raya committed same mistake he was at the side of the goal post so the block went outside while in Ramsdale case he was just infront of goal and the ball went inside. These situations will definitely come again and again and we better prepare for avoiding such mistake and management should work out in this aspect to avoid further mistakes. But more concerning to me for Ramsdale is that he always takes 2-3 steps before kicking the ball after he receive the ball. That makes him prone to making such mistakes again and that gives space to opponent to pressurize him which in turn makes his ball distribution terrible and most of the time he ends up kicking the ball high up on the pitch when easier pass could have given earlier. So, he is little bit slow in ball distribution reaction and that might have been the reason Arteta went for another keeper despite him being an excellent one. But he is still young and has great scope of improvement, the thing is dont bow your head and keep working on the weakness.
Excellent and shrewd post Vz. Yours is precisely the sort of well thought through, well explained post that I LONG TO SEE FAR MORE OF on JA!
SUE I so admire the calmness with which you refute the posts of fans such as Reggie.
I dont agree with him that keepers get rusty, not having played in a game for many weeks. Outfield players though sometimes become rusty, but NOT keepers
Keepers train for speed of reaction every day and are always sharp. He showd hois obvious sharpnes when making that save from Toney and tthothe rone he tipped over thre bar. His reactions are excellert and sharp but he gets excitable too easliy and has often taken too long to get rid of the ball at his feet.
It is a technical weakness he urgently needs to work on , whereever he lands up next season.
It was lack of technique, as was pointed out on MotD last night, which meant RAMSDALE did not pass on Gabriels back pass quickly enough. TECHNIQUE Reggie, not “rustiness”!
“Ramsdale spends hours and hours a week training”
Exactly this.
The “rusty” thing is a non argument. Just desperate stuff from ppl who wont change their mind.
Ramsdale didn’t impress in the pre season either and made several mistakes. I like him, but he can do better with his feet and the awareness. I hope he will be staying and give Raya a hell of a fight, and finally be our #1 again.
Baban twins , “Not the liquor” means in PROPER English, “not the drink”.
Is THAT what you really MEANT TO SAY?
I DONT SEE HOW IT POSSIBLY COULD BE !
Was it Kiwior?
SueP & jon, I think it’s Kiwoir, Babin twins is referring to
Cheers Gunsmoke, I reckon it can only be that!
You had the brain to work it out but I was stumped and had no idea what they meant!
How did they combine to set it up? Ramsdsle was solely responsible because Saliba already gave him a leeway by moving to the lines so he can just pass straight instead of trying to clear.
Mikee19, Ramsdale is a terrific goalkeeper when it comes to the basics of stopping shots, but that isn’t the role anymore and he’s just not good enough. This is not an isolated event, it feels like it’s at least once a game, even when he was number 1 and playing every game. It forces the team to play differently because they can’t trust him with the ball.
But AA give Ramsdale credit for picking himself up and making excellent saves in the second half. If Raya’s positioning had been the same as Ramsdale’s, he wouldn’t have reached Toney’s long range shot over the keeper.
Where is the criticism for Gabriel for making a pass back putting Ramsdale under pressure, instead of passing forward so close to half time?
Yes, I am critical of Gabriel and Kiwior for these kind of backpass under no pressure from opponent. I just hate this kind of mindset. Gabriel, for most of the time always backpass to goalkeeper even when there is opportunities to pass forward
We cannot isolate keeper by not giving him any ball. Back pass and building from back is the base of our play which cant be avoided. Every member of the team should feel connected and pass the ball to each other. And Gabriel never put pressure on Ramsdale by backpassing but it was his slow reaction that led to goal. Arsenal as a team should work out to avoid such mistakes in future.
👍
MA DID give great credit to RAMMY publicly too and showed what an EXCELLENT MAN MANAGER he is in doing so.
I find the tediously daft accusations from CERTAIN fans on here so plainly wrong.
Witness as evidince for his GREAT man managership, the splendid harmony and all for one spirit throughout th squad.
He is a GREAT MAN MANAGER, just as Pep and Klopp both are too.
This post was not specifically meant for Ozziegunner. I posted it under his name in error
Agree jon, Mikel Arteta did openly praise and support Ramsdale in his post match interview.
Probably a far better “result” in the circumstances than the previous walks in the park. We didn’t play at all bad in the first half and if it wasn’t for two poor misses by Haverz and an Aaron Ramsdales error, we could have been out of sight. Because of that, we came under pressure and lost a bit of composure. But both Ramsdale and Haverz redeemed themselves second half, with credit. In fact, if it wasn’t for the two misses Haverz would have got my MOM. But that was given to The two CBs for me just ahead of Rice. Big win in the context of tomorrow. A draw or defeat would have been really bad. We can all relax until Porto now.
Very fair assessment indeed Reggie
I thought the first half was ours but much trickier in the second half. I also thought Odegaard was excellent too. They were all good really
Ramsdale did redeem himself in the second half which I was pleased to see but the first half error almost derailed us
The fuss over Havertz regarding the dive is OTT considering the professional time wasting etc etc on display by Brentford
Odergaard was very good Sue.
Sue, he could have been sent off. But luckily the Ref, didn’t have a decent view. It was a blatant dive.
Not going to argue on that point. I did though wonder how some of the shenanigans in the Brentford penalty box didn’t go our way.
Because they were just that Sue. Its hard for the ref to see everything and nothing was so bad, it was an obvious error for VAR to intervene. I
I was going to write, i didn’t mind what went on. It was a good battle.
Tuesday night to look forward to now. Gulp!
🤞
We could have had a few penalties in this game as well. At least one of them should have been given. Perhaps it was some sort of compensation…
Disagree, i don’t think we should have had a penalty. I would have been uoset, if any of them had been given against us.
I don’t agree with you.
Besides, we outclassed Brentford, and the only team trying to play football won the game, fully deserved.
👍 Reggie, don’t forget Martin Odegaard crossing the ball on a plate for Kai Havertz to head home. If Havertz had misses that one, he would wish the ground to swallow him up.
Kai Havertz needs to work on his finishing, as he needs too many opportunities to score missing too many chances.
Every body misses and no player can have shot conversion of 100%. If we see misses from Haaland, Salah, Nunez and even Jesus then we will understand its part of the game. Scoring goal is not as simple as it looks. I am so glad that Havertz eventually scored in the right moment and kept us in this title race.
Yes it’s not as simple as it looks that’s why they are paid millions per season to do it.
If it were simple there would be no need for inflated salaries and transfer fees wouldn’t it? Because every player could have done it!
I think he’s now scored more goals for us than he did for Chelsea!
Havertz that is….!
His playing style and all round contributions arriving in the box late makes it difficult for the gaffer to drop him
Hopefully, that will be a good practice run in preparation for the practice game. Glad Harvetz was there to convert the goal. And didn’t we need it,! Was it and better than Rice’s goal? Could any other Premier League striker with his height have scored it? Did he miss easier opportunities earlier on? So what makes him such an amazing player?
Does being a team player have any role in his success?
Ramsdale is a little ring rusty, the number one spot was taken from, so he’s the one under enormous pressure now.
AND IMPORTANTLY, IN WHAT WAS A PHYSICAL SLOG GAME, NONE OF OUR PLAYERS WERE INJURED.
APPARENTLY!!
Probably a harder workout than most of us expected and maybe what was required to bring the players back down to earth in advance of another vital match on Tuesday
@Mikee19
So well said!
It is unfair and even heartless for one to say Ramsdale demotion to become second fiddle to Raya is now justified.
I would even say the gaffer had set him up as he was thrown to the beasts not allowing him to have any game time for so long, not in European competition, not even Cup games.
This is an opinion that is contrary to mine
How often did Ramsdale make way for our number 2? It’s a position that isn’t obviously one that can be shared equally
The fact that Arteta may have been economical with his plans doesn’t alter the fact that the number one keeper gets the most games
No one came with this energy to defend Runnarsson or Turner. Love Ramsdale the man but c’mon. Goalposts are moving.
worth adding half the people defending Ramsdale were throwing their toys out the pram when he was signed. Short-term memories and even then Raya was the number 1 target the year before but we couldn’t/wouldnt pay the price tag and Brentford got promoted.thq year.
that year*
Angus, half of the fans defending Ramsdale were moaning about his signing…. maybe…. now give a figure on how many fans who were moaning about Raya’s signing are now defending and / or praising him?!
As for the comparison regarding Runnarsson or Turner, that’s because Ramsdale was our No 1 keeper while neither of them were.
The Turner and Runnarsson situation was specfic to the lack of game time argument which I think and logically does hold up.
To your 1st point exactly?
I’m not raya vs ramsdale. I’m positive vs negative, reality vs narrative. I rember defending raya against the people who now cry for him because it fits an agenda that’s what I’m calling out. I love ramsdale but currently rate raya bove him. I never hated on either anywhere so I’m confused.
Ramasdale* not raya in the initial point
AM. IMHO, Ramsdale is a class above the two keepers you name.
Obviously i agree, just wasn’t the point of the comment.
Agree 100%Frank.
of course you do
when i was defending ramsdale when 1st signed you were nowhere to be seen. joker.
my my touched a nerve, did you defend ramsdale when signed? or are you projecting your child-like nature? I’ve outright avioded engaging with you but I’m on this thread before you were so I did.
Give me a semblance of a logical argument that isn’t this guy annoys me because he repeatedly calls me out correctly.
Pathetic response but is what it is.
No Angus, the pathetic response was from you, calling people a joker. Fo no reason at all. Now jog on.
Indeed.
Never answered a question or rebutalled an opinion but I’m the crazy one. Wow. Joker.
Raya is the better all round keeper in Arteta’s system. I disagree that Ramsdale was “thrown to the wolves”. He has been part of the Arsenal setup for longer than Raya and played many games last season. He should have dealt with the situation much better.
Ramsdale’s inability to maintain focus is an issue which will limit his chances at the highest levels.
Tsamina mina, eh, eh, waka waka, eh, eh, £60 million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again!
Enjoy tonight and your weekend gunners!
Looks like MA has yet again proven the doubters wrong. Havertz and Raya were the right call.
Jen. Watch your words. Raya is an accident waiting to happen and when it does you and Angus will be in denial. As for Harvetz, I am not going to go against the flow. The team is red hot so why change it and at the moment , momentum might carry Harvetz through this season. But ordinary is ordinary and you won’t be able to defend him in the long term. Let’s hope for the title this season and opportunities for better players such as Smith Rowe to show him up.
All I’m saying is that those so called “fans” that have been calling MA a clown for those signings, really need to acknowledge how little knowledge they have about football. Know what you’re talking about before bashing a player or a manager or other knowledgeable fans opinions.
I wasn’t particularly happy with the signings either, but as a fan that actually has a football IQ, I understood that with any signing, you need to give them time before judging them.
And look what’s happened. The players, especially the defence, eventually got used to playing with Raya, and he’s become a key component of a rock solid defence, and is definitely an upgrade on Ramsdale, which we’ve just seen yet another example of.
Havertz just gets better and better, and is scoring a lot of crucial goals as well. He’s also getting assists and I love his work rate. He’s starting to reach that potential that he showed at Leverkusen..
Makes me laugh you say sicknote ESR is better. He’s got potential, but he’ll never realise it as he’s forever injured! Must ship him out in the summer.
Raya is a very good all round GK. why would you say he is an accident waiting to happen?
Havertz played well overall and was decisive when it counted. He has also played well in some recent games. At the moment it is not credible to suggest that ESR is a better player.
Rustiness? What is he number 2 for?
What a silly assumption. One error of timing and the opposing players persistence and speed and everything is justified. Get a brain.
Agree Godwin. A keeper in the EPL has no excuse for being rusty. Being No2 doesnt change that.
Neutral, is there any culpability for Gabriel in making a back pass to his goal keeper, putting his keeper under unnecessary pressure so close to half time?
No.
This is part of Arsenal’s approach to game management and a top level goalkeeper is expected to be able to deal with such situations. Ramsdale had sufficient time to pass the ball and had options.
David, shouldn’t the potential speed in Wissa closing Ramsdale down have been taken into account by Gabriel? Playing out from the back has be varied otherwise opposition forward pressers can sit on the goalkeeper.
David, you have obviously never played football before. That is clear in your thoughts.
👍 @David
Fact is that when you haven’t played for so long, you’re going to be rusty.
Look at Partey over his last 2 appearances. He’s a genuine world class player, but after 5/6 months out, his performance against Sheff Utd (a team we were absolutely destroying) was terrible! He made a short cameo today, and his first act was to pass it straight out for a throw in.
It was an unacceptable mistake, but hardly any game would have definitely played a part.
A tough game as expected, but confident we will come out on top regardless. We now shift our attention to the visit of Porto next, in a game our men have sensed blood and all that is left is go for the kill! COYG!!!
Am not ashamed to say that Harvertz is doing very very well for the team. I would want him to continue to prove his critics (for which am one of them) wrong on weekly basis . Congratulations boys. I also want to commend Ramsdale despite his blushes. He did well.
I thought (mistakes apart) Haverz had his best game tonight. But he isn’t a striker.
Cynical performance from Brentford, with constant time-wasting and feigning injuries. They deserved to lose and I’m glad we did that for them.
Yes, the Brentford players looks to be made of beancurd and get seriously injured upon every touch. FA should do something and give Brentford a serious warning for this kind of time delay tactics.
Also shout out Benny Blanco, criminally underrated.
For the second year in a row we are title contenders, long time since we managed that. Anyway, there’s a big difference because this season we are going to win the league🏆 This is only the beginning of a new Arsenal FC era 🔴⚪️ COYG
We love you Arsenal, we do,
We love you Arsenal, we do,
We love you Arsenal, we do,
Oh Arsenal we love you…
The Big German and Ben White gets a nine (9) for me against the Bees.
Branford was as stubborn as a mule, Am afraid, man of the match has to go to the Big German, its the 4th game of the campaign he has earned that for me.
Thomas Frank is normally OK, but for him to be bleating on about Kai getting a second yellow, when I didn’t see any dive, but I think we’d already been disallowed 5 penalties by then, so had give up on ever getting one, is out of order. Their player grabbed Ben Whites collar and pulled him backwards into their goal, and he was doing his best to get out of the way of any shot. And Martinelli was jabbed in the eye last week, and we got nothing, not even afoul, so why Kai got a first yellow when his hand went into the blokes eye when he was trying to jump, I have no idea.
.Gutted for Ramsdale. It was a sloppy mistake, but I loved his reaction toward the Brentford fans who had been giving him a lot of stick when we scored the winner. Ben White deserves plaudits if only for the 2 quality crosses for the goals.
F☆☆☆ war of words above. Specific Ramsdale I want you to stay. What I saw today was distribution where it should happen but lacking in accuracy. Big step forward, stay and fight and worst case scenario Raya is that good and you go to another top team. That’s my message to Ramsdale keep working, love ya, don’t let others gaslight you, listen to the experts that coach you.
The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.
Massive three points!
On to Porto next.
COYG 💪
Important win in a game, that became really tough.
Obviously, we can’t win big in every game, and it is a sign of being a very good team also to grind out wins.
As for Ramsdale, it was a game, which shows him in a nutshell. Fantastic saves few can make, combined with a huge howler. Sometimes you get away with it, yesterday not.
The howler can’t be excused. It was so big, it shouldn’t happen. But he deserves a lot of credit for the way he picked himself up and performed after it.
Beyond rustiness, I think the way we ask our gks to play will inevitably lead to these kinds of mistakes from time to time, even if they are particularly good with their feet and used to the system. Raya and ramsdale have both made plenty of mistakes for us that they got away with – ar just didn’t get away with it yesterday. Confidence might have been a bigger factor than rustiness tbh but who knows. It looks like ramsdale responded positively in the second half, which speaks well of his character.
No one wants to see mistakes, but they happen to the best of us. Good that it happened in a game we ended up winning.
It is true what you say Davi. The way the modern goalkeeper plays INEVITABLY leads to goals. Allison,Onana,Ederson, etc have all conceded goals in that manner. Football fans need to understand it’s the new normal. It is risky but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. You could say the same for the inverted fullback tactic-this tactic will leave the defense exposed from time to time but the advantages are massive. For instance,White was in a Central position to assist Rice for that first goal. A position he wouldn’t otherwise find himself in if he played like fullbacks played in the past. For the second goal,his assist was that of a wingback from the past-props to White for being able to play these two roles within the same game by the way.
.Gutted for Ramsdale. It was a sloppy mistake, but I loved his reaction toward the Brentford fans who had been giving him a lot of stick when we scored the winner. Ben White deserves plaudits if only for the 2 quality crosses for the goals.
HAVERTZ SAVED RAMSDALE, AND RAMSDALE SAVED ARSENAL. FAIR DEAL.
It’s still very useful to have two top class goalkeepers, obviously Ramsdale can’t spend all his career on the bench, but there must be a way of giving him minutes to allow him to stay, maybe Raya – PL and Ramsdale all others?
Let AR have the CL as well?
Blimey
SueP, with the number of competitions Arsenal play in retaining Ramsdale to maintain two top class keepers would be ideal. Playing time can be shared between competitions, keeping both goal keepers fit and ready to go, whereas playing one keeper consistently increases the chance of injury
Otherwise losing Raya to injury would make life very difficult for Arsenal defensively