On Sunday evening, Arsenal beat Everton 1-0 for the first time since Wenger’s days through a 69-minute Trossard strike.
Over the international break, we were keen on Mikel Arteta making some tough calls that would benefit the team regarding his line-up. Fortunately, he did that – Kai Havertz and Aaron Ramsdale were dropped, Fabio Vieira got his deserved first start, and David Raya debuted.
There’s a lot to say about the Vieira-Havertz change; however, that’s a story we will discuss another time.
That said, how impressed are you with Raya? He already has as many clean sheets (one) as Aaron Ramsdale. His first start was a success. David Raya on the ball is something else; everything he did was superb, and the Gunners were great in the buildup. He had 45 touches, made 34 passes with 94% accuracy, made one save, one run out, and played nine long balls (7 successful).
Starting Raya over Ramsdale worked, but Piers Morgan felt it wasn’t right; as seen in the tweets below, he felt the Englishman being on the bench was humiliation.
I don’t understand what Ramsdale has done to deserve being dropped? Havertz, yes.. but Ramsdale’s been consistently superb for us.
Why humiliate him? https://t.co/HoWbsT2ywp— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 17, 2023
Contrary to Morgan’s claims, Floyd Hasselbank claims Gooners should be ready to see more of Raya. The ex-Chelsea man suggests the Spaniard may be given enough run-of-games to build up some momentum, as he feels the money Arsenal could pay for his permanent switch to the Emirates suggests he ought to be Arteta’s No. 1.
“They paid a lot for Raya, and I think he’s their No. 1, and eventually he was going to play. I think today is the first day that he’ll be a regular,” the former Chelsea striker told Sky Sports as quoted by the Mirror.
“I don’t see goalkeepers getting minutes here and there; they need rhythm; they need to stay in that momentum.
“Raya is a very good goalkeeper, and Aaron is as wel – two big goalkeepers you want in your team. It’s hard and a difficult decision, but I think we’ll see Raya in Arsenal’s team for a little while.”
Would it shock you if Raya starts the Wednesday Champions League clash between Arsenal and PSV?
Daniel O
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I’d suggest Raya specialize in CL and a prioritized cup competition while Ramsdale takes charge of the league with few rests to accomodate Raya and the other cup competition.
Yes, that’d be a better plan
Arteta seem to be a coach who seriously want result after painfully missing the chance to win Epl last season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also uses Rayal for more Epl games if you consider his diplomatic statements during interview.
Arteta seem to be a coach who seriously want result after painfully missing the chance to win Epl last season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also uses Rayal for more Epl games if you consider his diplomatic statements during interview. I mean he benched GMangahaes for some games and most fans didn’t see it coming. We all predicted Havertz should play against Everton. This guy Arteta simply wants results
I guess Arteta learned about effective player rotation from Guardiola
An odd view by the headline writer of this piece that RAYA HAS BEEN BRILLIANT.
I saw him have practically nothing to do. How you prove “brilliance”in a single game, withouteven needing to do anything of note at all, the whole game long, will I suggest , be a puzzle to all thinking Gooners.
That is not to say he is certainly not a top keeper, as his time at Brenford showed us.
But this piece was specifically about the Everton game and in that game he was hardly needed, let alone, apparently”brilliant”!
ODD!
I have to agree with John fox on this one in fact Raya made me nervous with his short passes when our players were marked one wrong move we could of suffered, I think Ramsdale would like to be a big part in the CL so that’s why they are mixing it up
Agree that on Sundays performance Raya can hardly be classified a “brilliant” but equally Morgan’s claim that Ramsdale having been “constantly superb” is equally wide of the mark. Both have their strengths but above all Ramsdales fondness for winding up opponents fans is something that Arteta is likely to see as a negative. Away from home opposition fans need to be kept quiet, not be given a reason to react & possibly lift their team.
Yep you made a really good point. I am seeing Raya playing in away games for sure where we don’t want to rile up support crowd.
Ramsdale does not really do what you claim he does to away supporters, the last time he did such was far back as last year November at Molineux against wolves who were at him all game cos of his west brom connection.
The Englishman has hardly put a foot wrong in the current campaign though Raya may have contributed to that.
Can understand Raya getting a run in the team on Sunday, and I would have hope it’s a one off atpproach to get Raya feet wet for the champion league run in.
Two top goalies representing one team is certainly against conventional wisdom and may not be sustainable, If Brighton , Spuds should make an offer comes January it would certainly unsettles Ramsdale.
Surely the Englishman would have felt humiliated if Raya replacing him wasn’t explained thoroughly
A foot or feet wrong but his arms/hands is another story😉.
I don’t believe it is a question of “Why should Ramsdale feel humiliated. Raya was brilliant”. It’s more a question of why shouldn’t Ramsdale feel alarmed at being “dropped” after one whole season plus of being the regular first choice keeper and performing brilliantly on a consistent basis.
I also don’t believe this type of action will “keep him ‘grounded’ and “on his toes” for future peak performances. More like it could be very demotivating and scary that one error could mean the possible end of his first choice tenure. And the recently published possibility of Arteta using substitutions of keepers during a game seems ridiculous.
Just my opinion.
Peter Olsen
And its a perfectly valid opinion too Peter. I admit to being rather torn on this matter, as on the one hand, I see no difference in PRINCIPLE about keepers having real competition, just as outfielders do.
But on the other hand, I see no justification for RAMSDALE LOSING HIS PLACE . And I add a rider to that, when I suggest that keepers are hardly ever injured, nor get fatigued.
Plus there is very little, if any, real keeper competition in other big clubs and I DO foresee the possibility of Ramdale -unless he plays most Prem matches- getting unsettled and wanting away.
Esp as his rival is , right now, only a loan player. AND Ramsdale is pushing Pickford very hard for his England place.
Its a risky strategy in my view. It could work very well. But equally, it could bomb nastily!
Why can’t we have two top keepers in the team. Competition will see them getting better.
Why not “two in the team”, you ask?
Well, for starters that would leave only nine outfield players and only one keeper woul be allowed by football laws to touch the ball in the area!
Two in the SQUAD,with one of them on the bench would be a very different matter though.
Both Ramsdale and Raya are good trusted and tested goal keepers. Arsenal has not brought Raya to sit down on be bench but to play as well to provide rest and competition for Ramsdale. If Raya is good at training, why must he not be used in matches to exhibit his qualities to the fans? I believe Arteta knows how well to deploy the players without any of them feeling inferior or humiliated. The two goal keepers just have to accept each other in good faith for the purpose of ensuring Arsenal success.
Aaron Ramsdale was superb when Leno was around. Matt Turner didn’t provide any threat to the no1 position. Ramsdale is very young and he predictably made some costly errors. He is a bit too hot in his veins. Raya was cold, composed and calculated. The whole defence was very relaxed and confident when Raya had the ball. Brilliant signing. Expect more such signings in the future for RW, RB and LB.
The writer needs to calm down, as does Morgan, as I’m sure Ramsdale will play tomorrow, Ramsdale wasn’t dropped, he was rotated. Any keeper can be ‘brilliant’, (sic), with hardly anything to do, but yes what Raya did, he did well but it was noticeable that Ramsdale’s constant geeing up the crowd was missing which was a noticeable loss to the atmosphere, in my opinion.
TBH not a great assesement as I could have also been brilliant in goal on Sunday as Everton were that poor.
After just one start in goal, the conveyor belt of made up press stories about Raya – and Ramsdale is on the move. Ramsdale humiliated! What a headline.
At least it’s a lot better than “Humiliated Ramsdale pushing for a move away in January”.
It’s already started Rf with unsubstantiated silly rumours of Chelsea and Bayern wanting him.
Piers Morgan is once again talking out of his a*ss . Ramsdale humiliated,how?even GK’S need breaks not only physically but mentally speaking.on top of that,we have CL football.MA was only rested him for Wednesday ,simple as that.
Ramsdale was not dropped and as such, is not humiliated. He was only given a rest to prepare him for Champions league debut. It is good for everyone. Rays also was decent but due to our defense being spot on. We all win together. That’s the spirit and the vibe.
An odd statement to make! Arteta did say he’s gonna rotate his squad, goalkeeper included.
Even i could have been brin goal against Everton!!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant, not brin (where did that come from) ?