Raya was not yet an Arsenal player at that point, but his move from Brentford was on the brink of completion. Both he and Ramsdale knew that a battle was coming and, when Ramsdale proved to be the hero in Arsenal’s penalty shootout victory, it felt as if the Englishman had landed the first meaningful blow in that contest for the starting shirt.
Two months down the line, however, it is now Ramsdale who is watching from the outside. Raya has started five of the last six matches for his new club (Ramsdale played in the League Cup tie against Brentford) and appears likely to keep his place in the team for Sunday’s reunion with City.
To many outside observers, the speed with which Raya has seemingly usurped Ramsdale has come as a shock. Ramsdale, after all, has been one of Arsenal’s most important players – on and off the pitch – in recent seasons. In May, it should not be forgotten, his performances were rewarded with a new long-term contract.
Such is Ramsdale’s popularity with the Arsenal fanbase, some supporters have been uncomfortable with the change. When Ramsdale played against Brentford last month, the support for him from the Arsenal fans was emphatic: the game was less than two minutes old when his name was first chanted, and he went on to play superbly.
It has led some fans to question whether the switch of goalkeepers was entirely necessary, given Ramsdale’s seniority in the dressing room and his standing with the supporters. Ramsdale is adored for his passion, honesty and the impact he had on an Arsenal team that, at the time of his debut in 2021, was spiralling towards despair.
Mikel Arteta has so far chosen against explaining the specific reasons why Raya has been selected over Ramsdale. His most noteworthy comments on the issue came after Raya’s first match, against Everton, when the Arsenal manager said he will be rotating his goalkeepers this season – and perhaps even within games.So far, that has not come to pass. In the league and Champions League, there has been no rotation. Since Raya came into the team, he has stayed there for all subsequent Premier League and European ties, including the midweek defeat at Lens (when Raya made his first significant error in an Arsenal shirt).
What, then, is Raya offering this Arsenal team that Ramsdale is not? In which areas does the Spaniard excel? Is Raya really the better goalkeeper and if so, how much better?
Raya has now played five matches this season, to Ramsdale’s six. The body of evidence is therefore big enough to draw some comparisons. And for Ramsdale, the uncomfortable truth is that Raya is currently ahead of him on many of the key metrics for goalkeepers.
Shot-stopping
So far this season, Ramsdale has conceded five goals for Arsenal, compared with Raya’s four. A minor difference. Raya’s advantage is that, based on Opta’s metrics, his expected goals conceded is 5.22. In other words, Raya has prevented one more goal than would be expected based on the shots he has faced.
Ramsdale’s expected goals conceded, on the other hand, is 3.97. He has therefore conceded one more goal than would be expected so far this season. On that key measurement, Raya is overperforming – and Ramsdale is underperforming.
Distribution
The main reason for Raya’s attractiveness to Arsenal was his ability with the ball at his feet. Ramsdale is a fine passer himself, and has been fundamental to Arsenal’s evolution in that regard, but Raya is statistically on another level to the Englishman when it comes to distribution.
So far this season, Raya has completed 82.3 per cent of his 198 passes in an Arsenal shirt, compared with Ramsdale’s 66.5 per cent (from 167 passes). Over longer distances, too, Raya has been more reliable: his long pass accuracy is 50.7 per cent (from 67 passes), compared with Ramsdale’s 30.4 per cent (from 79 passes).
Raya has also been more involved in the build-up play than Ramsdale, averaging 51 touches per match compared with Ramsdale’s 35. Against Bournemouth last week, especially, Raya played a key role in possession, often appearing in the centre-back slot as Arsenal exposed the opposition’s haphazard pressing. In terms of positioning and distribution, he currently appears to be the closest in the league to Ederson, the City goalkeeper.
Dealing with crosses
Perhaps the most obvious stylistic difference between the two goalkeepers is Raya’s willingness to spring off his line to intercept crosses from wide. Opta data shows that he has faced 50 crosses in an Arsenal shirt this season, and that he has stopped 10 of those (20 per cent).
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