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Arsene Wenger has criticised Mikel Arteta’s decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale and make David Raya Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The legendary Gunners boss doesn’t believe a two-keeper policy works even if Arteta’s selections have made it clear Raya is above Ramsdale in the pecking order.
England international Ramsdale, 25, started Arsenal’s first four Premier League matches of the season before Raya replaced him as No 1 in that competition and the Champions League.
In last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Raya was caught out by Mykhailo Mudryk, who lobbed him to score from an unlikely angle.
Aaron Ramsdale (right) lost his place as Arsenal’s No 1 goalkeeper to David Raya (left)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wanted a goalkeeper with better distribution skills than Ramsdale
But legendary Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger doesn’t like the goalkeeper rotation policy
Wenger, who managed Arsenal with distinction between 1996 and 2018, made clear he isn’t a fan of what Arteta is doing.
‘Personally, I like Ramsdale. If I was in his position I would not give up,’ Wenger told beIN Sports.
‘I believe he has the chance to come back into the team.’
Asked if he believes Ramsdale is superior to Raya, he answered: ‘Better… better… I don’t know if he’s better. I just think Ramsdale has made decisive saves in the games last season.
‘They were not happy maybe with his feet, his distribution.’
Wenger, who worked with excellent keepers like David Seaman and Jens Lehmann when Arsenal manager, was asked whether distribution or shot-saving is a more important attribute.
‘To stop balls going in the back of the net,’ he replied.
‘You know, on the other hand, when you’re in this position, you always – it happened to me as well many times – you have a good team but you want to improve the team.
‘And then you look and think, “what can I improve there?” You think maybe the distribution from the back.
Ramsdale and Raya work together well despite the obvious competition between them
Raya came in for criticism when Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk was able to lob him last weekend
‘It happened to me the same with the centre backs, you want a guy who has better distribution from the back but then you realise he is less good defensively and his first job is to defend.’
Wenger usually favoured a clear No 1 keeper and asked whether this was the best policy, he said: ‘Always. That’s my belief, I don’t believe in rotation with goalkeepers, I don’t believe in a lack of clarity of the hierarchy with goalkeepers. That doesn’t work.’
Raya kept his fifth clean sheet of the season as Arsenal thrashed Sheffield United 5-0 on Saturday to close the gap to Premier League leaders Tottenham back to two points.
Ramsdale will be hoping for some action when the Gunners head across London to West Ham in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
