Mikel Arteta was reportedly directing instructions towards Aaron Ramsdale during Arsenal’s League Cup exit at West Ham last night. Football.London reports that Arteta was urging the Arsenal goalkeeper to refrain from kicking the ball long.
Ramsdale was in the starting lineup last night. Thus, marking his first start for Arsenal since the 1-0 victory at Brentford in the preceding round of the Carabao Cup. It’s widely acknowledged that the English goalkeeper temporarily lost his place in Arteta’s side. With David Raya currently the preferred choice in goal.
Ramsdale endured a challenging 90 minutes last night. He was even expressing his frustration by slamming his fists into the ground after West Ham’s third goal.
Ramsdale appeared to have been on the receiving end. That is just before Ben White inadvertently put the ball into his own net in the first half. Meanwhile, he had little chance to prevent goals from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen. However, Arteta’s primary concern seemed to be related to Ramsdale’s ball distribution. That is when he had possession at his feet on Wednesday evening.
What made Arteta to shout at Ramsdale?
As reported by Football.London, Arteta was shouting at Ramsdale to deter him from playing long balls last night. This occurred during a phase in the first half when the goalkeeper was facing pressure while in possession of the ball.
According to the outlet, despite the temptation to play long, the Englishman adhered to his manager’s instructions and endeavored to play out from the back.
There is a prevailing belief that Arteta favors Raya over Ramsdale. That is because of the Spaniard’s proficiency with the ball at his feet. However, despite Raya’s occasional unease while playing out from the back in recent games, Ramsdale also did not appear entirely comfortable in that aspect last night.
Despite the challenges, it’s encouraging to see Ramsdale making an effort. That is to adapt his game in an attempt to reclaim the number-one spot at Arsenal. The £30 million signing had performed admirably before being replaced by Raya. However, Arteta’s current preference for the former Brentford goalkeeper makes it evident that Ramsdale faces a formidable challenge to secure his return to the starting XI.
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