How is Raya better than Ramsdale?
- Published
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions.
One fan asked: Can you tell me why David Raya is a better goalkeeper than Aaron Ramsdale? As an Arsenal fan I found it embarrassing the way Mikel Arteta was fawning over Raya at the end of a game in which his deficiencies almost cost us.
Simon replied: It is difficult to pinpoint an individual reason but Arteta clearly wanted Raya in the summer and sees something in him he feels makes his team better. I realise that is quite vague but it is the reality.
Sometimes, it can be a quite technical reason, like opening your body in a slightly different way to take or give a pass, the speed of the pass, the accuracy of it. Sometimes it can be basic trust in a player to do what they are being asked. It goes beyond making big saves.
Raya made a mistake yesterday and it cost a goal. Arteta may argue Raya was a reason why Arsenal were 3-0 up – or why they are top of the Premier League. I don’t feel you can isolate individual mistakes to highlight whether a decision has worked or not. You have to look at the bigger picture. We will never know if Arsenal would be in their current position with Ramsdale in goal, we know they are with Raya.