Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hints at whether David Raya will start v Sevilla

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David Raya seems set to start for Arsenal v Sevilla this evening.

Arsenal are in Spain, ready to take on Sevilla in a Champions League clash this evening.

The Gunners need a win, having been beaten 2-1 by Lens last time out in the competition. On that occasion against the French side, David Raya did not have his best day.

The 28-year-old Brentford loanee struggled again against Chelsea last time out. His distribution was poor at Stamford Bridge, and he was embarrassingly lobbed by Mykhailo Mudryk for the Blues’ second goal.

Plenty of Arsenal fans will have wanted to see Aaron Ramsdale back between the sticks, making his Champions League bow, this evening.

However, as reported by BBC Sport, Raya is set to keep his place.

Addressing the contentious issue of who should be the first choice Arsenal goalkeeper, Mikel Arteta recently said, “that’s the debate. That’s the beauty of the game as well. The fact that you have other options as well is going to make that talk more frequent.”

When asked if Raya is currently struggling with the pressure of being in goal for Arsenal, Arteta insisted, “I haven’t seen that at all.”

David Raya v Aaron Ramsdale debate rumbles on at Arsenal

Ramsdale can feel very hard done by to have lost his starting spot at Arsenal. He is a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium, and has produced some outstanding performances for the north London club over the last couple of seasons.

The England man recently told The Guardian that he is “suffering and hurting” as a result of his demotion. Whilst it is arguable that publicly discussing his situation won’t help him get his place back from Raya, it is clear that Ramsdale’s future is seriously in doubt. 

As Arteta still has faith in Raya, the twice-capped Spain international needs to produce a fine performance against Sevilla.

For the good of the club, the debate around the goalkeeping pecking order needs to be put to rest. The only way that will happen any time soon is if Raya performs to such a high level that his involvement can’t be questioned.