Aaron Ramsdale will be handed a perfect opportunity to send a message to Mikel Arteta this weekend. Arsenal will be forced into a change in goal against Brentford and the England star will be doing all he can to prove his club manager wrong.
David Raya has started Arsenal’s last 12 matches across the Premier League and Champions League. However, the Spaniard will have to sit out of the visit to his parent club Brentford on Saturday.
Ramsdale played against the Bees in the Carabao Cup in September and will do the same in the first league fixture between the two teams this season. It is a chance that the 25-year-old, quite literally, must grab with both hands.
Ramsdale rightly feels aggrieved to have lost his spot and his father has made that clear during the international break. Nick Ramsdale speaking so openly on his son’s situation is probably not going to do him many favours with Arteta.
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However, Arteta has no choice but to play Ramsdale in the Gunners’ first game since that interview aired. It is an important match, too, with Arsenal knowing at least one of Manchester City or Liverpool will have dropped points in the day’s early kick-off.
Tottenham are also breathing down their necks in a tight top four. Arteta needs his players to hit the ground running after the international break, starting with Ramsdale.
He may feel he doesn’t have a point to prove after being named in the PFA Team of the Year for last season. However, Arteta clearly believes he has found a better goalkeeper in Raya.
Despite a number of errors in his early days as an Arsenal player, Arteta has stuck by Raya. He has not rotated his goalkeepers in the way he suggested he would when he first brought him into the team.
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It appears as if Arteta has decided that Raya is his No 1. It seems the only way Ramsdale can win his place back is with a bit of luck on his side.
Arsenal initially wanted to sign Raya on a permanent deal but had to settle for a loan move with an option to buy. That could be the fortune Ramsdale needs to show off his quality again.
Brentford are a difficult side to beat at home, losing just once in six matches on their patch this season. They average two goals a game too so Ramsdale will be hoping he can have a busy evening and catch the eye of his manager.
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