Ramsdale was at fault for Brentford’s goal
Mikel Arteta has defended Aaron Ramsdale after his mistake in Arsenal’s win against Brentford on Saturday.
Ramsdale was at fault for Brentford’s equaliser as he took too long to compose himself when in possession and was closed down by Yoane Wissa, who got in the way of the ‘keeper’s attempted clearance to deflect the ball into the back of the net.
Arsenal had taken the lead before that courtesy of Declan Rice and secured a mighty three points thanks to Kai Havertz’s late header which took them top of the Premier League ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City’s clash today.
Arteta praises Ramsdale’s courage
The Gunners’ deputy shot-stopper has been under pressure since losing his place to David Raya this season but with Raya unable to play due to being on loan from Brentford, Ramsdale was given the opportunity to maybe reclaim his place.
But despite the error, Arteta was keen to praise the England international for his resilience and insisted that everyone makes mistakes on the pitch.
He said: “Really happy especially because he did exactly what he is, a person with huge personality and courage, very determined.
“Errors are part of football.
“It’s how you react to it, especially for the keepers which is probably the most difficult position. He did so in an amazing way. I’m not surprised because the whole team and the whole stadium was behind him. He has earned respect and admiration.”
Will Ramsdale play for Arsenal again?
With Raya expected to return for Arsenal’s Champions League fixture against Porto on Tuesday, the Spaniard is likely to remain in goal for the rest of the season meaning that there’s a chance Ramsdale may well have played his last game for The Gunners.
After a stellar campaign that saw Arsenal just miss out on the title this season, Ramsdale has been resigned to the number two role and has hardly featured since Raya’s arrival. There’s a chance that he could find himself on the plane to the Euros as back-up for Jordan Pickford but in the future, his England spot may be under threat.
Chelsea were reportedly one of the sides interested in the ex-Sheffield United however the emergence of Dorde Petrovic may mean they cool their interest.
Arsenal would allegedly want in the region of £50m to part ways with the 25-year-old in the summer.
For now though, it’s hard to see Ramsdale featuring again this season unless Raya suffers an injury.
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