Jamie Redknapp has shared his assessment of Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
David Raya endured a difficult evening between the sticks as Arsenal scraped a 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Saturday evening.
Mikel Arteta clearly wants his Arsenal side to play patient football, control matches, and build up their attacks from the back. Raya is the starting point for a lot of the Gunners’ moves.
The 28-year-old is trusted to take his time on the ball, receive possession under pressure, and pick out high risk, high reward passing options. However, the goalkeeper did not look at all confident in fulfilling this function in the side at Stamford Bridge.
Raya’s distribution was particularly poor. Arsenal were fortunate that the Blues failed to punish them more harshly for some of Raya’s misplaced passes.
Early in the second half, things went from bad to worse for the Spaniard, as Mykhailo Mudryk was able to lob him from long range, as Raya was caught out for positioning himself poorly.
With Aaron Ramsdale waiting in the wings, Raya may now be feeling some pressure to keep his starting spot in the side, having only wrestled it away from the Englishman a few weeks ago.
Pressure on David Raya at Arsenal amplified by Aaron Ramsdale
Jamie Redknapp certainly feels that the competition between the two shot-stoppers is making the situation even more difficult for the players, and Arteta, to navigate. As quoted by Sky Sports, the former Liverpool midfielder said, “[Raya] looks like a bag of nerves right now. Raya is really struggling with the pressure and the scrutiny he’s under. He’s giving the ball away, he’s looking like he’s always going to concede goals. The situation hasn’t helped him.”
“People have said that Aaron Ramsdale should consider leaving, but I disagree. I think he should hang in there given the way Raya has given away so many goals. He’s not showing that he’s good enough to be No 1.”
Ramsdale himself won’t have given up on winning the No. 1 spot back. However, having taken the bold decision to sign Raya and pick him over the 25-year-old in the first place, he will want to give the £85,000-a-week Brentford loanee every chance to come good at the Emirates Stadium.
Raya needs to rediscover his best form soon, though, or his position will quickly become untenable in light of Ramsdale’s presence.
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