Arteta admits ‘brilliant’ Arsenal star is really ‘desperate to play’ against Brentford

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Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is set to make a rare appearance against Brentford on Saturday, and Mikel Arteta has now praised him.

Ramsdale lost his place to David Raya early on in the season, and the Spaniard is now thriving after initially struggling.

Arsenal are out of both domestic cups, and with Raya commanding the number one spot in the Premier League and Champions League, Ramsdale’s prospects of game time are extremely limited.

Raya is ineligible to face his parent club on Saturday, meaning Ramsdale will come back in for a start, and Arteta has now praised the attitude of the England International.

Mikel Arteta praises Aaron Ramsdale ahead of Brentford clash

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta claimed that Ramsdale is fully ready to start the game, and praised his attitude behind the scenes.

“He’s fully prepared. He’s training really well every day. He’s desperate to play, like rest of the boys that haven’t had many opportunities,” Arteta stated.

“Saturday is a great day for him. It’s a joy to have 2 top goalkeepers in the team.

“He’s been brilliant, really supportive. Pushing every day in training, like I expected.”

Will Aaron Ramsdale face problems on his return to Arsenal XI?

When Ramsdale came in for the reverse fixture after being dropped, he did keep a clean sheet, but it was a hard-fought one.

The once-confident goalkeeper looked a bag of nerves, and his passing caused issues for his defenders as his nerves on the ball were apparent.

There may be fears that coming in for a first start since January could have a similar effect, but the circumstances are now very different.

When Ramsdale came in against Brentford before, Raya was struggling and there was intense scrutiny over both players, which helped neither goalkeeper.

Now, Raya’s place is all but cemented, and Ramsdale’s departure now seems inevitable. This could mean there is less pressure on him, and given that the game will be in front of the Emirates crowd, it seems likely that he will get a very positive reception from the fans.

Arsenal’s defence has thrived in recent weeks, and whilst a big part of that is down to Raya’s aggressive style, Ramsdale will have the benefit of playing behind a settled back four who have all been outstanding at shutting out the opposition, and he will hope that he has little to do all game.