"Hasn’t been as good as what was expected" - Pundit hits out at 28-year-old Arsenal summer signing
Pundit Robbie Mustoe has criticised Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for signing goalkeeper David Raya, who 'hasn't been good' since his summer arrival.
The Gunners surprised many when they signed Raya on loan from Brentford on loan despite having Aaron Rasmdale in goal. The Spaniard joined the north London side on loan and will cost £30 million to make it permanent next summer (via The Guardian).
Raya, 28, instantly replaced Ramsdale as the first choice in goal but has put in shaky performances. The Spaniard was ineligible to feature in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Brentford on Saturday (November 25), which saw Ramsdale starting the game. The Englishman didn't look at his best but managed to keep a clean sheet.
After the game, Mustoe shared his thoughts on the goalkeeping situation at the Emirates, saying on The 2 Robbies podcast (via The Boot Room):
“There was not an issue in goal last year. And all of a sudden, David Raya’s come in, and he hasn’t been good. He hasn’t been as good as what maybe was expected.
“Now you’ve got two goalkeepers who are feeling the pressure. Raya’s had quite a few moments where he’s been caught out. And now the other guy comes in after doing nothing wrong last year, and the first part of this season, and also had a bad game.”
Raya is expected to return to the starting lineup in Arsenal's next clash against RC Lens in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 30. He has kept six clean sheets in 12 games across competitions.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's balance after Brentford win
The Gunners secured a big 1-0 win at Brentford on Saturday to propel themselves to the top of the table, a point above Manchester City. They needed an 89th-minute header from Kai Havertz to break down the Bees.
Arsenal now have the best defensive record in the league after 13 games, with six clean sheets and only 10 goals conceded. They have also scored the sixth-most goals so far, with 27.
After the Brentford clash, Mikel Arteta was asked if he's working on his side's balance and he replied (via Arsenal.com):
"I hope I am, I hope we can be better and better, and adapt, because as well the reality is that we have lost a lot of players, a lot of attacking players in this first period of the league and the team continues to win, and find ways to win, and today I put on another attacking player as I suspected what they were going to do, and it’s what we needed. Everybody was really good, I think."
Arsenal will face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Luton Town, and Aston Villa in their next three Premier League fixtures.