Arsenal legend Sol Campbell warns Mikel Arteta of issue that may cost them title
Sol Campbell thinks that Mikel Arteta’s reluctance to name a first-choice goalkeeper could prove to be Arsenal ’s Achilles heel in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal are flying high at the top of the league table heading into a tricky test against Aston Villa on Saturday evening. The Gunners have won 11 of their 15 league games and sit two points clear of Liverpool following a dramatic 4-3 win over Luton on Tuesday.
Declan Rice gave Arsenal a huge win with a 97th-minute header, but only after two clangers from David Raya which saw the away side surrender leads. Raya has been playing ahead of Aaron Ramsdale since arriving on loan from Brentford in the summer yet has been far from convincing.
Ramsdale was the undisputed number one goalkeeper last season and has cut a frustrated figure on the bench this campaign. Arteta refused to criticise Raya after the Luton game and Campbell believes the situation could come back to bite him later in the season.
“The only sticky part is the David Raya-Aaron Ramsdale situation,” the former Arsenal centre-back told The Sun. “In those really tense moments, on a knife edge, you need to know exactly what your goalkeeper is going to do.
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“If it keeps on changing, or if this situation carries on, no centre-half will turn around and say, ‘Yeah, we don't mind’. Your mindset changes. Doubt creeps in. At this elite level, another half a second of thought can cost you.”
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made two costly errors against Luton (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the goalkeeping situation at Arsenal? Comment below.
Raya put in a terrible performance against Luton, which could have been costly. He was beaten to a routine corner by Elijah Adebayo, who simply headed into an empty net and he then allowed a tame effort from Ross Barkley to squirm underneath him just eight minutes later.
His errors undermined what has been a solid defence this season, which has been built around the centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. While they shipped three at Luton, Arsenal still have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, alongside Liverpool, and Campbell says Saliba and Gabriel are the league’s best pairing.
“Gabriel and Saliba have come just at the right time for Arsenal,” he said. “Right now, it is beautiful. They have been given time to build a relationship. They’re playing incredible football and they’re not mucking about.
“You can see the will in their eyes, the fire in their bellies. It is not perfect, yet it is so strong. They have real confidence. Once you get it, never disrespect it. That old Roman saying of never resting on your laurels, that’s when big mistakes can happen. You win titles and cups by having a strong backline pair, and Arsenal have that to look forward to over the next few years. Long may it last.”
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