Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brought in David Raya into the club this summer to add some depth to his goalkeeping options, and that is proving to be excellent business as the Spanish shot-stopper has looked at home at the Emirates Stadium.
BREAKING: Arsenal sign David Raya on a season-long loan from Brentford for £3m with a £27m option to buy ✍️ pic.twitter.com/56qwdGgwaR
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 15, 2023
Raya is rotating along with Aaron Ramsdale in goal, with both men getting opportunities in the team across all four competitions. Rather than having a set number one, Arteta has stated he will pick his team, along with his keeper, based on recent performances.
The Gunners boss has also claimed he will be prepared to change his goalkeeper during a game, if he feels it is best tactically. That is something that has rarely been done before by a manager, particularly during the 90 minutes of a league game. Some head coaches have opted to change their goalkeeper ahead of a penalty shoot-out.
Ramsdale has had two excellent seasons in goal for the Gunners since joining the club from Bournemouth, but competition with Raya may help both players push themselves to be at their very best every game.
Gunners in the Hunt for Title Again
Four goals. Four goalscorers.
Watch the full match replay from our win at the Vitality Stadium
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 1, 2023
With five wins and two draws from their opening seven Premier League games, including a 4-0 victory over Bournemouth, Arsenal have shown they are in the mix for the title once again this season. They are one of only two teams unbeaten through that period, along with North London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners are popular with football fans around the world, including in Zambia, due to the style of football played by Arteta’s side. The Spaniard has stuck by his principles since arriving at the club as manager, and he is now seeing the rewards for that on the pitch.
Arsenal fans who are placing bets in Zambia on their side to win the Premier League title this season have great odds of 11/2 with Bwin to lift the trophy at the end of the campaign. Should they go one place better than last season, it would be their first league title since 2004.
Manchester United Struggling with Onana
With two goalkeepers they can rely on, Arsenal can count themselves fortunate that they are not going through the same troubles in the position as Manchester United are. The Gunners’ rivals released David De Gea during the summer and signed Andre Onana from Inter Milan. Unfortunately for the Manchester Club, their new ‘keeper has struggled in the early stages of the season.
Onana made a name for himself at Ajax where he helped the Dutch club reach the final of the Europa League and then the semi-final of the Champions League. He moved to Inter Milan in 2022, impressing in Serie A before switching to Old Trafford.
United boss Erik ten Hag is opting to stick with Onana for now as he believes the Cameroon international will come through this tough patch. However, if he continues to make mistakes, United could easily fall off the pace from the early pace setters in the league.
With a lot of football still to be played this season, time will tell if Arteta’s strategy with his goalkeepers will pay off. Hopefully, he shows that he is one step ahead of his rivals once again, with some silverware going the Gunners’ way.
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