Why is Mikel Arteta pinning his reputation on Aaron Ramsdale

[ad_1]

Harrison says some of his qualities are great. Ramsdale excels in close range situations, using his agility and spreading his frame. His reactions are fast and he is able to get down to his corners quickly.

At the same time, there are concerns about his positioning – Harrison says he “could go a little higher than the ball” – and sometimes fall victim to the “arm swing” problem that irritates other goalkeepers, such as Chelsea’s Kepa. Arrizabalaga.

In these incidents, goalkeepers throw their arms behind their back in order to build momentum when diving, costing them a crucial split second when the shot arrives.

There will also be concerns about the percentage of Ramsdale savings for Bournemouth and Sheffield United in the past two seasons. He’s only stopped 68.5 per cent of shots in those campaigns, putting him 19th in the Premier League on this scale.

Such figures should be viewed with skepticism, as they do not take into account the fact that some goalkeepers in general face much easier shots than others, depending on their side’s defence.

For Arsenal, the trip to Ramsdale began in June last year, in a match against Brighton. Leno was injured that day, and his subsequent absence allowed reserve goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez the opportunity to thrive in the remainder of the season.

It was an opportunity that Martinez seized with both hands, doing so well that his days as a second choice are over. Aston Villa made a bid of around £20m, and Arsenal chose to cash in on him rather than offer him a new deal and demoted Leno to the second high paying role.

At the time, this was a move that seemed to suit all parties. But it presented Arsenal with a problem that they have not yet been able to solve. With Martinez gone, they needed another reliable backup goalkeeper. They have targeted Brentford’s David Raya, making a bid of around £10m, and would have surely come back for the Spaniard if he had not been promoted to the Premier League.

.

[ad_2]