Mikel Arteta has been told he has created a “real problem” with the goalkeeper situation at Arsenal. David Raya continues to struggle in goal for the Gunners and Richard Keys has backed Arsene Wenger’s view that Aaron Ramsdale should be playing instead.
Raya has started the last 10 matches across the Premier League and Champions League. He replaced Ramsdale for the 1-0 win at Everton in September and has been the first-choice for Arteta since.
Raya’s arrival on loan from Brentford in the summer raised questions marks, especially after Ramsdale was named in the PFA Team of the Year last season. The Spaniard has made a few high-profile errors and has also received criticism following Newcastle’s controversial goal in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at St James’ Park.
Keys believes Raya should have done more to prevent the Magpies from scoring. He says Arteta has created an issue when it wasn’t needed.
Writing in his blog, Keys put: “One other thing – the debates about the goal mask another one that Arteta won’t be able to put off much longer. Raya is not an upgrade on Ramsdale.
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“He’s poor on crosses. He flapped at Willock’s. He flapped one onto the bar in the derby v Spurs that led to Son’s equaliser and Mudryk’s mis-hit cross caught him badly out of position.
“Arteta has created himself a real problem here. ‘He’s good with his feet’ they say. Well he wasn’t v Lens.
“I’m with Arsene Wenger, who said on a beINSPORTS programme recently ‘I like my goalkeeper to be able to make saves’.”
Legendary former Arsenal boss Wenger came out in defence of Ramsdale last month. He insisted he wants his goalkeepers’ main strength to be keeping the ball out, rather than being able to play out as Arteta wants Raya to do.
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Wenger said on beIN SPORTS: “Personally I like Ramsdale. If I was in his position I would not give up. I believe he has the chance to come back into the team.
“I don’t know if he’s better. I just think Ramsdale has made decisive saves in the games last season. They were not happy maybe with his feet, his distribution.
“[I’d want a goalkeeper] to stop balls from going in the back of the net. You know, on the other hand, when you’re in this position, you always – it happened to me as well many times – you have a good team but you want to improve the team.
“And then you look and think, ‘what can I improve there?’ And you think maybe the distribution from the back. It happened to me the same with the centre-backs, you want a guy who has better distribution from the back but then you realise he is less good defensively and his first job is to defend.”
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