Former Manchester United and Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster has criticized Arsenal’s decision to sign David Raya, hinting it is unfair to the current No. 1 keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The Gunners signed Raya on loan from Brentford earlier in August, despite having Ramsdale at the peak of his powers. Raya is still waiting on his Premier League debut, but it should arrive sooner rather than later.
Foster criticizes Arsenal’s goalkeeping philosophy
While most teams prefer continuity under the crossbar, Mikel Arteta’s side are trying something unorthodox by pitting two top goalkeepers against one another. Former England goalkeeper Foster is not a big fan of the said philosophy and believes signing Raya was completely unnecessary. On his YouTube channel, the former Premier League goalkeeper said:
“That’s not the way to do things. I hate it, it’s pathetic. It’s something that didn’t need to happen, right? They did not need to sign David Raya.
“He’s [Ramsdale] been a top goalie for two years. He’s on the edge of being England’s number one with Jordan Pickford, he’s right there. When he’s full of confidence and he’s got a manager putting his arm around him, he’s as good as anyone in this country.”
Arteta explains the importance of having two top goalkeepers
In a recent press conference, Arteta was asked whether or not he had a preferred No. 1. The Spaniard claimed that he did not have a fixed first-choice goalkeeper, stating that it was important to have competent backups in every position.
Arteta said:
“In any position? No. 9, 7, 11, 6, goalkeeper – no. Better qualities for our game model, very simple. We want two players per position.”
The former Manchester City assistant coach then cited Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Arsenal center-back Jurrien Timber’s injuries as examples to show why it was important to have capable substitutes.
He added:
“You saw what happened to Jurrien [Timber], it can happen to our goalkeeper, it happened to [Thibaut] Courtois – you have to be prepared.”
The Gunners, who were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Fulham in their last Premier League outing, will return to action with a clash against Manchester United on September 3. It will be interesting to see which way Arteta leans for their first top-six clash of the season.
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