Gabriel Agbonlahor is convinced that Mikel Arteta has made a firm decision about who his first choice Arsenal goalkeeper is.
We may well be seeing a changing of the guard process in action at Arsenal. In the Gunners’ last Premier League game, against Everton, Mikel Arteta introduced David Raya into his starting XI in place of Aaron Ramsdale.
After making his debut for Arsenal at Goodison Park, Raya kept his place in the team for the Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Given how influential Raya was against the Dutch outfit, the twice-capped Spain international must now be considered the favourite to start between the sticks in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Arteta has previously spoken about his desire to use both ‘keepers on a rotational basis throughout the season, suggesting he would even consider swapping them during matches. This would represent a major break with convention, though, and could lead to both players being unhappy with their amount of game time.
Agbonlahor dismisses Arteta claim
Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor certainly doesn’t expect this particular competition for a place in the Arsenal team to pan out that way.
Speaking on TalkSport, Agbonlahor said in response to Arteta’s suggestion of swapping his goalkeepers regularly, “have a day off, Mikel…talking absolute garbage. You might play one ‘keeper in like the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup, that’s it…In Champions League football, your best goalkeeper is playing. In the Premier League now you can’t afford to lose a point…your best ‘keeper is starting. David Raya will play.”
He continued to defend Arteta’s ruthless decision, saying, “he’s been savage and he saw Raya as a better ‘keeper and he wants to win the title. Simple as that.”
Ramsdale will feel aggrieved to have been demoted. He has not done much wrong himself, and has generally been very impressive since joining the club in a deal worth £30 million from Sheffield United in 2021.
With EURO 2024 coming up next summer, and Ramsdale in competition with Jordan Pickford for the England No. 1 spot, he needs to be playing regular football. That will make the loss of his place to Raya even harder for the 25-year-old to take.
Ultimately, though, Arteta must prioritise the good of his team as a whole. He seems to have decided that Raya is the best fit for Arsenal.
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