Jorginho and Mikel Arteta were both seeing doing one thing to Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after he endured a nightmare against Brentford on Saturday evening.
An error from Aaron Ramsdale gifted Brentford an equaliser against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The shot-stopper was making his first appearance for the north London club in the Premier League since November. With David Raya ineligible to play against his parent club whilst on loan at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta had no choice but to call upon Ramsdale for the visit of the Bees.
This was possibly his last ever appearance for the club, as Arsenal are all but certain that Ramdale will make an exit in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old is a top class ‘keeper. He has proven his quality for the Gunners before, as he was the first-choice between the sticks prior to Raya’s arrival.
He looked generally solid yesterday, until disaster struck on the stroke of half-time. Ramsdale dallied on the ball, allowing Yoane Wissa time to charge him down. The Brentford forward was then able to block Ramsdale’s attempted clearance, deflecting the ball into the back of the net.
It was a calamitous moment and will have represented the sum of all of Ramsdale’s fears heading into this rare Premier League outing. Fortunately, the Gunners were able to fight back.
Mikel Arteta and Jorginho first to comfort Aaron Ramsdale after Arsenal drama v Brentford
Ramsdale’s blushes were spared by Kai Havertz who kept his extraordinary recent goalscoring run going as he grabbed a late winner. As reported by journalist Sam Dean on X, after the final whistle Arteta and veteran midfielder Jorginho were quick to hug Ramsdale on the pitch.
The goalkeeper had already redeemed himself somewhat before Havertz’s headed winner, as he produced two crucial saves in the second half. One stop was particularly eye-catching, as he had to scramble back and leap to claw away a spectacular long-range effort from Ivan Toney which looked destined to nestle into the top corner.
After the match, Arsenal fans were quick to give their verdict on Ramsdale. After his efforts for the north London outfit, he deserved what is likely to be his final appearance to end in celebration rather than his own condemnation.
Despite being criticised for it earlier in the season, Arteta’s decision to replace Ramsdale with Raya in the Arsenal pecking order has now been justified though.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
