Arsene Wenger, a legendary figure at Arsenal, has voiced his disapproval of Mikel Arteta’s decision to bench Aaron Ramsdale, stating that having two competing goalkeepers won’t be effective.
Ramsdale, the English goalkeeper, has been sidelined for Arsenal’s last nine Premier League and Champions League matches, with summer signing David Raya taking his place due to his superior distribution skills.
However, Raya has shown signs of nervousness with his goalkeeping and passing, notably being chipped by Chelsea’s Mykhaylo Mudryk at Stamford Bridge recently.
Wenger is confident that Ramsdale will get a chance to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup, although he disagrees with Arteta’s departure from having a designated number one goalkeeper.
Speaking on beIN SPORTS, the esteemed Frenchman stated, “I personally admire Ramsdale. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t give up. I believe he has an opportunity to earn his place back.”
When asked if he believes Ramsdale is better than Raya, Wenger responded, “Better… better…” indicating uncertainty about superiority.
“I just think Ramsdale made crucial saves in previous games. They weren’t satisfied with his footwork or distribution,” Wenger added.
When questioned about the importance of distribution versus shot-stopping, he emphasized the primary goal of keeping balls out of the net.
“In such situations, you always have a solid squad but aim to enhance it,” Wenger continued. “You consider where improvements can be made. In this case, the focus seems to be on distribution from the back.”
Wenger drew parallels to his experiences with center-backs, acknowledging the desire for players with better distribution but recognizing the importance of their defensive capabilities as well.
