Mikel Arteta: I want to be able substitute a goalkeeper in the 60th minute — Arsenal manager defends dropping Ramsdale

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta explains the decision to bench Aaron Ramsdale for David Raya.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has defended his choice to drop Aaron Ramsdale and start David Raya in the 1-0 victory over Everton by explaining an elaborate rotation plan.

Arsenal’s goalkeeping conundrum

The goalkeeping position is one that does not share the same level of uncertainty in terms of first-eleven status as outfield positions, with most teams usually having a recognised number one that starts most if not all games and a somewhat reliable deputy.

Hence the raised eyebrows when Arsenal signed David Raya on loan from Brentford in the summer, a goalkeeper statistically better than the Gunners’s goalkeeper from the previous campaign, Aaron Ramsdale; this sparked conversations on the England international’s continuation at the club.

The decision to start the Spaniard today, in the absence of a major howler or suggestion of a lack of form from Ramsdale, led many to suggest Arteta has a new number-one going forward and has relegated Ramsdale. The Spanish coach has now made an attempt to dispel this notion.

What Arteta said

The former midfielder explained that having two quality players in every position, even between the sticks, had always been the intent, and the signing of Raya was a realisation of it.

He went further, suggesting that both goalkeepers will be put through rotation, like has rarely been seen in the game.

Arteta believes one should be able to substitute goalkeepers midgame, as is done with outfield players. He says he was not courageous enough to do it earlier in his career but now realises he has enough credit in the bank to make such outlandish calls.

“The same rationale about why Fabio (Vieira) played here or Eddie (Nketiah) or Gabriel Jesus," Arteta said, per Goal.

"I haven’t had a single question on why Gabriel Jesus didn’t start. He has won more trophies than anybody else, including me, in that dressing room. I cannot have two players in each position and not play them. David has tremendous qualities, like Aaron has, like Karl (Hein) has and we have to use them.

“I am a really young manager and I have only been in the job for three and a half years and I have few regrets about what we have done. One of them is that on two occasions I felt after 60 minutes and 85 minutes in two games in this period, to change the keeper in that moment, and I didn’t do it.

“I didn’t have the courage to do it. But I am able to take a winger or a striker and put a central defender back and go to a back five to hold that result. And we drew those games and I was so unhappy and someone is going to do it and maybe it (the reaction) will be, ‘Oh! That is strange. 

“Why?’ Why not? Tell me why not. You have all the qualities of another goalkeeper and if you want to do something to change the momentum, do it. It is a regret that I have and my feeling is to get everyone engaged in the team. They have to play regardless of the competition. Do it. That is my message.”

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