Aaron Ramsdale was not at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Arsenal fans away from home still chanting his name.
The chants may only be heard briefly in the second half, and Mikel Arteta did his best to keep them out after his side rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Chelsea. But they seemed indicative of a fragile afternoon for David Raya.
Arteta has unified Arsenal supporters during his time at the club, although there is a developing department among enthusiasts about who deserves to be in goal.
Ramsdale missed the Chelsea game after his wife gave birth to their first child and Raya is expected to continue at Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Raya has established himself as Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper and it is unlikely that the Arsenal manager will take him out of the team. But some enthusiasts feel Ramsdale deserves to be called up sooner rather than later.
Raya had a hard time and on Saturday he beat a cross from Mykhailo Mudryk. It’s an anomalous goal, even if his position is suspicious.
Mudryk also revealed that Chelsea goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez told him to be careful with Raya so as not to go out of his line, suggesting it was a weakness the Blues were looking to exploit.
Interested in his ability on the ball, Raya also came close to Chelsea’s third goal when he passed the ball directly to Cole Palmer.
Arteta signed Raya in the summer because he was looking for a festival in the goalkeeper position, but the move has created an additional point of scrutiny.
Every mistake is analyzed while Ramsdale, who made shortly before crashing, waits in the wings.
Arteta is breaking new ground with the idea of having two top-level goalkeepers and the biggest standout among his goalkeepers is on his own initiative.
Did Arsenal want to leave Ramsdale with Raya?
Arteta and his training obviously mean it.
The margins are very small when chasing Manchester City and, they will say, if there is an opportunity for the team, they will have to take it.
But Ramsdale brings intangible qualities, such as his connection to the fans. He is also a voice and figure in the dressing room.
Arteta has shown in the afterlife that he is not afraid to make big decisions – Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can attest to that – and, more than anything, he is the one who makes the big decisions.
The good fortune of Raya’s gamble and the way Arteta is handling the goalkeeper scenario this season looks set to benefit Arsenal in their quest for the title.
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