David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale will battle for a starting role throughout the season, even in games, their manager claims, but one has a clear advantage Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
The last time Arsenal played Manchester City, in the Community Shield in August, Aaron Ramsdale starred on the pitch as David Raya watched from the stands «Wembley», a baseball cap covering his eyes and the hood pulled down over his head.
Raya was not yet an Arsenal player at that time, but his transfer from Brentford was on the verge of completion. Both he and Ramsdale knew the battle was coming, and when Ramsdale was the hero in Arsenal's penalty shoot-out victory, it felt as if the Englishman had struck the first significant blow in this battle for the starting shirt.
< p>However, two months later, Ramsdale watches from the sidelines. Raya has started five of his new club's last six matches (Ramsdale played in the League Cup against Brentford) and looks set to retain his place in the team for Sunday's reunion with City.
For many outside observers, the speed with which Raya appeared to usurp Ramsdale came as a shock. After all, Ramsdale has been one of Arsenal's most important players — on and off the pitch — in recent seasons. It should not be forgotten that his performance was rewarded with a new long-term contract in May.
Ramsdale's popularity among Arsenal fans is such that some fans did not like the change. When Ramsdale played against Brentford last month, the Arsenal fans supported him: the game was less than two minutes old when his name was first called, and he continued to play superbly.
This has led some fans to question whether a change of goalkeepers was entirely necessary given Ramsdale's seniority in the dressing room and his authority among the fans. Ramsdale is revered for his passion, integrity and the impact he has had on an Arsenal team that was in despair at the time of his debut in 2021.
Mikel Arteta has so far refused to explain the specific reasons why Raya was chosen over Ramsdale. His most notable comments on the matter came after Rai's first match against Everton, when the Arsenal manager said he would be changing goalkeepers this season — and perhaps even within games.
So far this has not happened. pass the. There was no rotation in the championship and Champions League. Since Raya joined the team, he has remained there for all subsequent Premier League and European matches, including the midweek defeat to Lens (when Raya made his first serious mistake in an Arsenal shirt).
What then does Raya offer to the Arsenal team that Ramsdale does not? In what areas does a Spaniard excel? Is Raya really the best goalkeeper, and if so, how much?
Raya has made five appearances this season and Ramsdale has made six appearances. Thus, the body of evidence is large enough to allow some comparisons to be made. And for Ramsdale, the hard truth is that Raya is currently ahead of him in many key goalkeeping metrics.
Freeze frames
Ramsdale has conceded five goals for Arsenal this season compared to Rai's four. Minor difference. Raya's advantage is that, according to Opta's metrics, his expected goals conceded rate is 5.22. In other words, Raya prevented one more goal than would be expected based on the number of shots he faced.
On the other hand, Ramsdale's expected goals allowed is 3.97. So he has conceded one more goal this season than would have been expected. In this key metric, Raya excels, while Ramsdale lags.
Distribution
The main reason for Rai's appeal to Arsenal was his ability to keep the ball at his feet. Ramsdale is an excellent passer himself and has been instrumental in Arsenal's development in this regard, but Raya is statistically on a different level to the Englishman when it comes to distribution.
Raya has completed 82.3 per cent of his 198 passes in an Arsenal shirt this season, compared to Ramsdale's 66.5 per cent of 167 passes. Raya was also more reliable over long distances, with his long ball accuracy of 50.7 percent (of 67 passes) compared to Ramsdale's 30.4 percent (of 79 passes).
David Raya was more accurate with the ball at his feet. Photo: Christopher Lee/Getty Images
Raya was also more involved in the attacking build-up than Ramsdale, averaging 51 touches per match compared to Ramsdale's 35. Especially against Bournemouth last week, Raya played a key role in possession, often appearing at centre-back for Arsenal. exposed the unsystematic pressure of the opposition. In terms of positioning and distribution, he currently appears to be the closest in the league to Ederson, the City goalkeeper.
How to deal with crosses
Perhaps the most obvious stylistic difference between the two goalkeepers is Raya's willingness to come on beyond his line to intercept crosses from the flank. Opta data shows he has made 50 crosses in an Arsenal shirt this season and saved 10 of them (20 per cent).
Ramsdale, meanwhile, has made 28 crosses in the Premier League. and two stopped (seven percent). That figure is about the same as last season, when he stopped six percent of the 381 crosses he faced in the league.
Of course, there are other qualities that are harder to measure. For example, Ramsdale has spent two years building chemistry with his defenders and has consistently shown that he thrives in hostile environments. Ramsdale has a mental fortitude that cannot be translated into numbers, and which Raya must also demonstrate at a club of Arsenal's stature.
However, to see how Arteta handled the situation is a reminder of the first press -conference of the Arsenal head coach after his appointment in December 2019. Asked what he learned from his time as Pep Guardiola's assistant at City, Arteta said: «The biggest thing I learned was to be ruthless.» As far as goalkeepers go, he certainly kept his word.
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