"Punished for last season’s mistakes" - Former EPL star admits he's 'devastated' over Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale
Former Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips thinks Mikel Arteta has decided to drop Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale because of mistakes from last season.
Ramsdale was Arsenal's number one throughout the 2022-23 campaign, keeping 15 clean sheets in 41 games across competitions. The England international played a key role in his side's title challenge and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
However, the 25-year-old did make some costly mistakes last season, none more so than his blunder against Southampton. Arteta's men settled on a 3-3 draw with the relegated Saints after Ramsdale's poor pass led to the visitors' opener at the Emirates.
Thus, Arteta has displaced Ramsdale with Brentford loanee David Raya and the English shot-stopper hasn't played in the Premier League since early September. He is now viewed as Arsenal's cup competition goalkeeper a role that Wright-Phillips is disappointed to see him handed (via The Sport Review):
"I’ll be honest, I was devastated about Ramsdale not being the number one any more. I think, especially in the title race [last season] when the pressure was on, he rarely made any mistakes and his shot-stopping was unbelievable at times."
Raya, 27, hasn't been without mistakes of his own. The Spaniard looked particularly shaky in the Gunners' 2-2 draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Wright-Phillips alluded to this:
"Goalkeepers will make mistakes – we’ve seen Raya do it already numerous times. In a way, he’s not been punished because he’s not lost his place and in a way Ramsdale has been punished for last season’s mistakes."
Speculation is growing over Aaron Ramsdale's future with England's participation at the European Championships next year. He's been linked with moves to Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Wright-Phillips understands Arteta has a specific philosophy of playing out from the back but is intrigued to see what January brings for Ramsdale:
"I understand if that’s how Arteta wants to play – out from the back, aggressive from crosses. I’m just interested to see what Ramsdale does from here on. I don’t think there’s been any team who’s had two number one goalkeepers before, so it’s going to be an interesting January."
Aaron Ramsdale has three years left on his contract with Arsenal. He joined the north Londoners from Sheffield United in 2021 for £30 million.
Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale admits he gets distracted during game time
Aaron Ramsdale gave an honest assessment of his focus during 90 minutes, admitting that he gets distracted. He said (via GOAL):
"If you ask me to focus on a game of football for 90 minutes I'm finished. I can't do it. So that's why I get involved with the fans and I sing along with the songs... I have had my two/three minutes of sort of madness in my head - straight back to the football. I've got 10/15 minutes of pure concentration again. Next thing you know, half-time is around."
The former Bournemouth goalkeeper has earned plaudits for not only his goalkeeping abilities but also his character. He is a fan favorite at the Emirates, displaying his passion with each passing game.
However, his admission brings with it question marks over his concentration during high-pressure games. The Arsenal shot-stopper is likely to start against Brentford on Saturday (November 25) due to Premier League rules preventing Raya from playing against his parent club.