Tag: Bernd Leno

Arsenal 2022-2023 Preview (GKs) – Ramsdale needs to not play like an asshole

A position that has not driven me to want to drown myself in bleach over the past few seasons has been the guys in between the sticks. Bernd Leno-Emi Martinez-Aaron Ramsdale have all been respectable goalies and competent players at their respective positions for Arsenal teams that have finished outside of the Champions league. Our #1 coming into this season is Aaron Ramsdale and he has that position locked down as any position can be at Arsenal at the current moment. The classy and underrated Bernd Leno is getting sold to Fulham in the coming days which has opened up the backup role to American Matt Turner. As things stand, Aaron Ramsdale will get all the Premier League games barring injuries as well as the Europa League knockout games. There might be a decent chance Matt Turner gets the Europa League knockout games if he performs well but the easiest way to put it, in any high leverage game, you can bet Arteta will give Ramsdale the spot. Matt Turner will serve as a FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League group stage games which should give him some momentum going into the World Cup.

Mikel Arteta just like his former boss Pep, yearned for a ball-playing goalkeeper to start our attacks and if that is what he is looking for, he more than got that in Ramsdale. The way he is able to pass out of pressure was something I was not expecting when he came into the team. He sometimes gets us into trouble with his risky passing, but the reward outweighs the risk when he pulls it off. As a shotstopper, I believe Bernd Leno surpasses Ramsdale as Ramsdale struggled dramatically towards the tail end of the season to get his hand to anything. It felt like Aaron Ramsdale was just a passion-merchant late last season with his performances largely begging for more secure hands in goal. He yells a lot and celebrates a lot after saves, which I don’t mind, you just gotta make the saves you are supposed to save which he struggled with in April and May. Aaron needs to play with that swagger he has, he just needs to ride that line better and appropriately lead the back line.

Gets beaten so cheaply at the near post

Regardless, he is our guy going into next season and it could be way worse. Hopefully Matt Turner can provide enough push for Ramsdale to stop playing like an asshole. Aaron Ramsdale has every motivation to play well and push for that England #1 spot if Pickford struggles. The same with Turner, I expect nothing but perfection from the Arsenal keepers going into this season with the World Cup looming (it won’t happen but gives me room to complain).

Kent’s confidence on Arsenal’s GKs: 8/10 – good enough going into next season, I have much bigger things to worry about. Just need Ramsdale to not play like an asshole and spaz (Jordan Pickford vibes if you know what I mean).

Featured image credits: Getty

Arsenal – Aston Villa Reaction

Get the fuck in! In a week where we play Leicester at home, Liverpool at home, and Villa away; to take 6/9 points from these 3 fixtures is nothing short of impressive. Through a goal in the 30th minute from Bukayo Saka, Arsenal traveled up to Villa Park and nabbed a 1-0 victory to extend our lead in the race for Top 4. For me, it never bothered me that we loss to Liverpool midweek, those results will happen to teams that are better than you. It was always going to be how we respond to losses that mattered and I have to give credit when it’s due, Mikel got the boys ready to play and they delivered massively. A well timed win going into the International break with the table looking like this:

PREMATCH/FIRST HALF – Mikel went with an almost unchanged lineup from the team that lost to Liverpool midweek with Leno, and Smith Rowe coming in for Ramsdale and Martinelli. Ramsdale is suffering from a hip injury that will most likely keep him out of the England camp. Martinelli came up with an illness that let ESR step into the team for the first time in awhile. Steven Gerrard went with a mostly unchanged side that lost to West Ham last week with Buendia, Konsa, and Ashley Young coming in for Ings, Chambers and Digne. From the start, Arsenal were all over Villa just like the old Wenger teams would do. I was pleased with how early Arteta got the boys to assert their dominance over an inferior opponent. Every time Arsenal wanted to, you felt like they were a threat especially with Saka down the right flank. Arsenal were then able to break through with a goal from Saka at the top of the box to give us the lead.

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