David Raya has displaced Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No.1 – for now (Photo: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has suggested that David Raya will keep his place in goal for Arsenal’s Champions League clash at Sevilla.
That’s despite his costly performance during the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last Saturday, where the 28-year-old again looked shaky in-between the sticks and was at fault for the Blues’ second goal.
The goalkeeper has been under constant scrutiny since moving to the Emirates on loan from Brentford, with many baffled by Arteta’s decision to sign him and select him ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.
Raya has started seven of the Gunners’ last eight games, including both of their Champions League fixtures, but given the recent errors there is a chance he will be dropped in favour of Ramsdale.
The England international missed the Chelsea clash – where Arsenal fans chanted for his return – due to the birth of his son, but Arteta has confirmed he has travelled to Sevilla and is in the squad for Tuesday night’s UCL match.
But the manager still has great confidence in his fellow Spaniard, saying that while he has the option to rotate his keepers he won’t off the back of one bad game.
‘Errors are part of football and mistakes happen, from defenders, from strikers and from goalkeepers for sure,’ Arteta said in his pre-match press conference on Monday evening.
Mikel Arteta has continued to defend Raya’s nervy performances (Photo: Getty)
‘For sure not [realistic to expect a change every time]. We will see tomorrow with the line-up.
‘All the players available have chances to play and I’m sure that I will not take a decision based on an only action [of the game].’
Asked if Raya was struggling with the spotlight on him, Arteta replied: ‘I haven’t seen that. If I am fair, I haven’t seen that at all.
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‘That’s the pressure of playing in big clubs where you have to win and you have to be at your best, and you have someone next to you who is pushing you every single day.
‘If we go player, by player, position by position, you will tell me what’s happening at left-back, what happens with the holding midfielder. You asked Jorginho a question already and Gabriel Jesus is here, there’s another question on that.
‘That’s the debate. That’s the beauty of the game as well. The fact that you have other options as well is going to make those talks more frequent.’
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Ramsdale is back in the squad after missing the Chelsea draw.