Mikel Arteta has declared the goalkeeping race open-ended.
This summer, Arsenal signed David Lahaya from Brentford. The goalkeeper, who Tottenham Hotspur had targeted as a successor to Hugo Lloris, made a name for himself at Brentford. Laya is a Spanish goalkeeper with a long history of playing in England. He first made a name for himself at Blackburn Rovers. He started out as a reserve goalkeeper, but gradually gained ground.
He became a semi-professional goalkeeper in the English Championship (second division). In 2019, he moved to Brentford. He earned the trust of head coach Thomas Frank by showing excellent build-up skills alongside his saves. He played a crucial role in Brentford’s promotion in the 2020-21 season. It was the first time in 74 years that the club had been promoted to the top flight. Laya proved his competitiveness in the Premier League (PL), even earning a call-up to the Spanish national team. After suffering a long-term injury, he returned to form and became one of the best goalkeepers in the PL.
Wanting a bigger club, Raya decided to move on. Tottenham and Bayern Munich approached him, but it was Arsenal who snatched him up. Everyone was stunned. Arsenal had Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale, who pushed Bert Leno out of the way to become Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper, had played for Bournemouth and Sheffield United. His performances during the relegation of both clubs from the PL have undermined his reputation, but his saves were good.
Ramsdale became Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper and held onto the No. 1 spot. His buildup game was a little off, but his saves were top-notch. With Ramsdale being touted as the man to push Jordan Pickford out of the England squad, the signing of Lallana was a surprise. Ramsdale has been the starter since the start of the season, but Raya put on the gloves against Everton last time out.
Raya kept a clean sheet in the win. With Everton completely dropping back and defending, he had fewer chances to showcase his saves, but he saved one shot on target and was solid in dealing with aerial balls. His passing was top-notch. He showed the same passing skills he showed at Brentford to facilitate Arsenal’s buildup at the back.
Asked before the game against Everton if Ramsdale was losing his place in the future, Arteta said, “I wanted to have two quality players in the squad, each with different strengths, and that’s why I brought Raya in, and we will play them alternately to maximize. We have a lot of matches left. With the rotation, both players will get plenty of minutes.” 메이저사이트
With Raya playing well, the Arsenal goalkeeping competition is just beginning. Even if they split time, one will play more than the other and will be picked for big games. Watching the goalkeeping competition is part of the fun of watching Arsenal play.