Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical talking points from the season so far.
Player analysis: Aaron Ramsdale & David Raya
Mikel Arteta’s decision to make Raya his first-choice goalkeeper in place of Ramsdale has been one of the most-discussed decisions of the campaign.
Signing a new long-term contract earlier this year, the 25-year-old Ramsdale had not made any significant mistakes and is extremely popular among Arsenal supporters.
Yet after snapping up Raya on a season-long loan from Brentford - with a view to a permanent transfer - Arteta took just four Premier League matches to make a change between the sticks.
Why has he made this emotive call? Let’s take a closer look.
Passing the numbers test
Ramsdale’s distribution is excellent.
Since joining Arsenal, his confidence at pinging longer range passes into midfield has soared and mistakes have been few and far between.
Despite that, Raya’s data in this department still comfortably outshines him.
Across the same six-match sample in all competitions this season, the Spaniard has made more passes, with greater accuracy than Ramsdale.
Whether those passes have been short or long, it is Raya who is more involved and reliable.
Raya v Ramsdale stats comparison all competitions
| 2023/24 | Raya | Ramsdale |
|---|---|---|
| Matches played | 6 | 6 |
| Minutes played | 540 | 540 |
| Passes | 241 | 167 |
| Successful passes | 192 | 111 |
| Passing accuracy | 79.7 | 66.5 |
| Long passes | 91 | 79 |
| Successful long passes | 44 | 24 |
| Long passing accuracy | 48.4% | 30.4% |
| Touches | 305 | 211 |
| Possession lost | 50 | 57 |
| Possession lost % | 16.4 | 27.0 |
Taking his time
Raya is also less rushed in possession, deliberately taking his time to lure opponents onto him before releasing the pass.
This style is reminiscent of what we see from Manchester City’s Ederson, or either of Roberto De Zerbi’s goalkeepers at Brighton & Hove Albion.
If a short pass is not on, Raya will strike the ball forward over long distances to try and catch out sides who have squeezed up for the press.
Across his four Premier League starts, he has made 13 launches, compared to Ramsdale’s six, with Raya leading 6-2 for accurate launch passes.
Stylistically it is becoming clear that Arteta prefers his 'keeper to perform in this manner with the ball at their feet.
Has it helped the Gunners build better attacks?
Until this point, they have created one more chance from passing sequences that involved Raya.
Raya v Ramsdale involvement comparison
| 2023/24 | Raya | Ramsdale |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 360 | 360 |
| Involvement in build-up sequences | 125 | 92 |
| Involvement in shot-ending build-up sequences | 3 | 2 |
One other nuance that differentiates Raya and Ramsdale is the direction of passes they make.
Raya likes to shift the ball left to Gabriel far more regularly than his team-mate, who tends to start build-up phases with a pass to William Saliba or Ben White to his right.
Raya also makes a higher percentage of progressive forward passes, which is sure to carry favour with Arteta.
David Raya's passing (L) v Aaron Ramsdale's passing (R)
Authority in the area
Ever since he became a Premier League 'keeper with Brentford, Raya’s aerial prowess has caught the eye.
He is not the tallest, but he is one of the most assertive around, regularly coming out to claim crosses that enter his box.
In this respect, he does have the upper hand over Ramsdale, who is less of an authoritative presence when balls are whipped into the area.
Raya v Ramsdale handling comparison
| 2023/24 | Raya | Ramsdale |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 360 | 360 |
| Catches | 6 | 1 |
| Punches | 2 | 0 |
| Drops | 0 | 1 |
The shot-stopping stats
It would be unfair to suggest that Ramsdale or Raya have been at fault for any of the Premier League goals they have conceded this season.
Three clean sheets from four will please Raya, who let in two goals in the north London derby.
Ramsdale may look back at Andreas Pereira’s strike for Fulham in a 2-2 draw and question the way he turned, as he scampered back towards his own goal, but it was by no means a major error.
57 seconds! 🤯
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 27, 2023
The fastest goal in the @premierleague this season so far.#ARSFUL pic.twitter.com/cIxLqgZYzL
When you assess the statistics, it does feel as if Arteta’s decision to start Raya has been justified until this point.
According to Opta, his save success rates are higher than Ramsdale, and he has prevented an additional 1.4 goals being scored, compared to his predecessor, who is in negative territory.
Raya v Ramsdale save success comparison
| 2023/24 | Raya | Ramsdale |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 360 | 360 |
| Saves | 5 | 5 |
| Save success rate | 71.4% | 55.6% |
| Save success rate inside box | 60% | 57.14% |
| Save success rate outside box | 100% | 50% |
| Goals prevented | 1.4 | -1.8 |
While it does feel incredibly harsh on Ramsdale to lose his place, it is also difficult to form a strong argument that he has outperformed Raya.
Raya did look nervous in the early stages of Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Manchester City, but to his credit, he recovered well to maintain his clean sheet.
From a stylistic perspective, Arteta seems to prefer Raya’s tranquillity in possession and his decision-making on the ball.
On top of that, his strength in various other facets of goalkeeping also point towards the right call being made.
It looks like it is going to be incredibly tough for Ramsdale to reclaim his place if Raya continues performing the way he has.
Also in this series
Part 2: What's behind Haaland's drop in form at Man City?
Part 3: How Chelsea are getting the best out of revitalised Sterling
Part 4: Maddison magic and rapid defenders: Why Spurs are the real deal
