I have shared my thoughts on the Raya vs. Ramsdale saga in the past and while Mikel Arteta deceived us that there would be some goalkeeping rotation, reality has shown that Raya has become the undisputed No. 1 at the club. Since taking over the goalkeeping reins from Aaron Ramsdale in the away clash against Everton in September, Raya has started eight consecutive Premier League games as well as four consecutive Champions League games, while Ramsdale has featured in only two EFL Cup clashes.
For a goalie like Ramsdale that played all 38 Premier League matches last season and started the first four this season, it is evident that Arteta doesn’t rotate his goalkeepers. When Arteta took over a couple of years ago, Bernd Leno was his starting goalie before injury paved the way for Emiliano Martinez to showcase his talents which saw the Gunners win the FA Cup. With Martinez not willing to play second fiddle to Leno, he departed to Aston Villa and Arsenal signed Ramsdale in his stead.
We all know how Leno started the 2011/12 campaign that saw him concede nine goals in three games, Arsenal dropped to the bottom of the table, and Ramsdale got his chance ahead of Leno and played every game with the exception of the Aston Villa away match due to a knock. Leno saw the signs and moved across to Fulham, while Matt Turner flew across the Atlantic to get a first class seat on the bench with a custom seat belt. Turner moved to Nottingham Forest this season and Raya, a long term Arsenal target, finally arrived in the club.
Everyone connected with the club can vividly remember that Arsenal placed a bid for Raya in 2020, when Brentford was still in the Championship. Arteta has finally gotten his man, and has clearly favored him ahead of Ramsdale. The English goalkeeper’s interview with Ian Wright were he shockingly revealed that he lacks concentration didn’t help his cause, but his woes would be further compounded with the news that Arsenal has decided to make the Raya deal permanent.
Ramsdale was an usurper to Leno and has now been usurped. Leno hit the high road and currently plays consistent football for Fulham, making save after save, and even though Fulham is on the trenches, Leno is happy, playing week in, week out. There is also the issue of the European Championships this summer – while Jordon Pickford is undoubtedly Gareth Southgate’s number 1, he has Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale as his deputies, but with Sam Johnstone currently leading the clean sheet count in the Premier League and Ramsdale hardly featuring for Arsenal, it will be no surprise if the Gunners’ goalie lose his place with the Three Lions.
I wouldn’t expect Ramsdale to leave this January, but it is highly likely that he would leave this summer if his gametime continues to deteriorate. With Raya unable to play against Brentford this weekend due to his loan obligation, Ramsdale will get the nod against Brentford and all eyes will be on him to see how he performs.
However, it looks like he’s now living on borrowed time.
Sayonara.
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