Arsenal have ‘early signs’ of significant problem for William Saliba and Gabriel
David Raya’s displays at Arsenal are under intense scrutiny due to a series of mistakes in recent games.
The Spanish goalkeeper joined the Emirates Stadium in the summer and rapidly became Mikel Arteta’s preferred choice in goal.
For a considerable period, Aaron Ramsdale was the unquestioned first-choice goalkeeper after taking over from Bernd Leno in 2021.
His skill in playing the ball out from the back contributed to Arsenal’s transformation from struggling for a top-four spot to being title contenders in the Premier League. However, Raya’s arrival altered the dynamics.
Raya came to Arsenal from Brentford on an initial loan arrangement with the option for a permanent transfer, with the intention of providing competition for Ramsdale as Arsenal participated in various competitions.
Yet, since making his debut against Everton, Raya has been the clear top pick.
Nevertheless, there have been errors. In the 2-1 Champions League defeat to RC Lens, Raya’s errant pass led to Adrien Thomasson’s goal, and he was lobbed by Mykhailo Mudryk in the recent draw against Chelsea due to poor positioning.
The victory over Sevilla on Tuesday night also witnessed some nervy moments, leading to questions about Arteta’s decision to stick with the Spanish goalkeeper.
Gary Neville of Sky Sports suggested that the Arsenal manager faces a challenge, with Thierry Henry admitting he’s concerned about the goalkeeper.
Former Liverpool right-back and ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has emphasized that Raya could potentially become a significant issue for Arsenal during this season.
“I think if he continues to flap at crosses [that] come into the box and gets himself in bad positions like Shaka [Hislop] thought he did for the Mudryk cross at the weekend then I think it’s going to have an effect on Saliba and Gabriel because their starting position is going to change,” he said on ESPN FC.
“They’re now thinking crosses into the box, we haven’t got Aaron Ramsdale who is 6ft4 and a big imposing goalkeeper, that makes a defender’s job different. When you know your keeper has got that authority in the box then it makes your job slightly different.
“When you have a keeper who is not particularly good in that area, as a defensive unit you might have to change your mindset a bit.
“I think the concern is, and we’re a long way from it, that his inadequacy from these balls in could start seeping through. There are early signs that this could be a problem.”
Arsenal have ‘early signs’ of significant problem for William Saliba and Gabriel