Mikel Arteta admits dropping Aaron Ramsdale for David Raya left him feeling sick as ex-Gunner Bernd Leno questions his ‘very strange’ idea to change goalkeepers during a game
Mikel Arteta admitted dropping Aaron Ramsdale left an uneasy feeling ‘in his stomach’ and is yet to decide who will start in Sunday’s Arsenal goal against Tottenham.
The goalkeeping saga started last weekend after David Raya made his debut in the 1-0 win over Everton – Ramsdale had started every Premier League match in goal since March 2022.
The Spaniard then made his Champions League debut on Wednesday, keeping a clean sheet for the second time in a row in the 4-0 defeat of PSV.
Arteta said: “It is very difficult with every player. And I suffer and I care about every player who doesn’t play, but this is the league and this is my job to make decisions for the team in the best possible way.
“In your gut when you have players who are sitting (out) and you have to announce the lineup, that’s one of the hardest things.
Mikel Arteta admits the decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale in favor of David Raya was not an easy one
Raya has kept back-to-back clean sheets after taking over for England goalkeeper Ramsdale
‘Players feel valued and happy when they play. And if they don’t, it’s very difficult. You want them to feel loved and trusted, and the way to do that is to play them. But everyone understands that it is a team sport and eleven players always start.’
Arteta came under fire from Bernd Leno, the Ramsdale player who played three games under Arteta after joining in 2021, who attacked the Spaniard’s ‘very strange’ idea of using goalkeepers as normal substitutes.
“I would feel very strange and very surprised if I saw the number 17 leave in minute 75,” said Fulham’s Leno. the times.
‘Everyone in the stadium would be surprised. It doesn’t matter if it’s me or Alisson at Liverpool, it doesn’t make sense. The incoming goalkeeper would feel even worse than me, arriving and not warmed up, no contact with the ball and no feeling for the distances. If the manager asks me, I would say, ‘Don’t do that’.”
Arsenal received a boost ahead of tomorrow’s derby, with captain Martin Odegaard signing a five-year contract to become the club’s highest earner.
Ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno described Arteta’s idea to replace the man between the sticks as ‘very strange’
Arteta has been given a boost as captain Martin Odegaard has signed a new five-year contract
The derby is always a heated rivalry between the two clubs, and Arteta is on hand to warn players of the enormity of it – if they don’t already know.
“They understand,” he said. ‘If they haven’t understood it yet, I’ll explain very quickly what it means.
“It’s easy to do that and they will realize it when we tour the Emirates on Sunday afternoon and they see the atmosphere and atmosphere around it. They will soon realize what is going to happen.
‘You walk down the street and there is a feeling.’
