Aaron Ramsdale's time at Arsenal is over - Mikel Arteta is right to favour David Raya in pursuit of Premier League and Champions League glory

When quizzed on his reasons for dropping Ramsdale in Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Everton last weekend, Arteta bizarrely claimed that he plans to rotate his goalkeepers during matches as the season progresses. He told reporters: "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. They have to play regardless of the competition."

But this wouldn't be the first time that Arteta has eased out a first-choice goalkeeper, as Arsenal legend Thierry Henry noted on CBS Sports while covering the PSV game as a pundit. "It's not about rotation. I don’t think Mikel wants to rotate," said Henry. "He went to get a goalkeeper that I think, and he thinks, is going to win him the league. There is no rotation there. Bernd Leno went through the same thing!

"When Ramsdale arrived, Arteta wanted a goalkeeper that could get him into the top four. I think he sees Raya as the guy that can get him to win the title and that's why he plays him."

Raya made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League last term (154), helping Brentford finish ninth. Ramsdale totalled 95 stops for Arsenal and posted a save percentage of 68.6, while Raya's came in at 77%.

Those statistics are misleading given the fact Ramsdale played for a team with the joint-third best defensive record in the division. Brentford faced far more shots over the course of the season than Arteta's possession-obsessed Arsenal side. But the Gunners boss has always stressed the importance of having a keeper that can help build from the back. Ramsdale's distribution in 2022-23 wasn't bad by any means, as he completed 1276 passes - 572 of which were forward.

The former Sheffield United goalkeeper deserved all the credit he got for helping Arsenal push Manchester City in the title race right up until the final weeks of the campaign. But the numbers show that Raya was far more influential for Brentford.

The 28-year-old completed 1,475 passes in total, and a whopping 1,047 those were forward. He also managed over 600 more touches than Ramsdale, which shows that he demands the ball more often than his new Arsenal colleague.

Raya also made over double the amount of high claims as Ramsdale, who has never really inspired confidence in the defence when it comes to rising highest to gather corners and crosses. It's no coincidence that Arsenal looked a more solid, fluid unit against both Everton and PSV; Raya is simply the better all-round package.

Arsenal started the season well even with Ramsdale still in the No.1 role, securing wins over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Manchester United, but they did also drop two points in a home date with London rivals Fulham.

The Gunners fell behind in the first minute, with Andreas Pereira capitalising on Ramsdale's poor positioning to score from some 35-yards after intercepting a wayward Bukayo Saka back-pass. Ramsdale got his angles all wrong for Joao Palhinha's 87th-minute equaliser, too, though the Portugal midfielder did catch his volley from a Harrison Reed corner sweetly.

Ramsdale's tendency to stray from his goal-line at the wrong moments is one of his biggest weaknesses, and he always has a mistake in him. He is erratic, which goes some way to explaining why he has only won four caps to date for the England national team.

Raya is far more assured, and has already had a calming effect on the Arsenal defence. The Spaniard is also has full faith in his own abilities, as he said at his official unveiling: "The way the team plays out of the back, being confident and taking possession to the other team is the main thing why I fit in perfectly."

He has backed up those words so far, and is holding himself like a man that knows his position is secure. Speaking to reporters after the PSV game, Raya said: "If Aaron comes back in he needs to fight for the team and to win games."

The Brentford loanee has cleverly laid down the gauntlet, which will only increase any doubt that may exist in Ramsdale's mind over his standing in the squad.

Ramsdale was rewarded for his strong 2022-23 campaign with a bumper new contract at Arsenal, which ties him to the club until 2026. But six months on, his future at Emirates Stadium looks anything but certain.

If Raya continues to start ahead of him in the biggest matches in the coming weeks, Ramsdale will be forced to explore potential exit routes in January. He has to be playing regular football to have any hope of one day usurping Jordan Pickford as England No.1, and wouldn't be short on options if he does decide to leave the Gunners.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are both monitoring Ramsdale's situation with a view to a potential winter swoop for the Arsenal net-minder. The Blues would have to pay a hefty fee to prise Ramsdale away from their London rivals, but that won't faze their Todd Boehly-led ownership group - which has spent over £1 billion ($1.2bn) on new players over the past year.

Two of those players bought this past summer were goalkeepers, with Robert Sanchez joining the Blues from Brighton before Djordje Petrovic's move to Stamford Bridge from the New England Revolution late in the window. However, Sanchez has struggled to convince in his first few games under Mauricio Pochettino, and Petrovic is just considered to be a back-up at this stage.

There is a genuinely possibility that Ramsdale could walk into the No.1 role in Chelsea's team, but he'd probably never be forgiven by Arsenal fans if he took that step. Bayern are in greater need of a new keeper right now, and he would be able to call on England team-mate Harry Kane to help him settle into new surroundings in Germany.

Bayern have been looking for a long-term replacement for Manuel Neuer for some time, with the 37-year-old facing a real fight to even get back on the pitch after breaking his leg in a ski accident last year. Sven Ulreich has been filling in, but Ramsdale would surely go straight into Thomas Tuchel's line-up if the Bundesliga champions can pull off a deal in 2024.

Arteta will know full well that he cannot afford another trophyless season. Arsenal have made great progress as a team since his appointment in December 2019, but one FA Cup represents a modest return in terms of tangible rewards.

And after coming so close to the title last season, the Gunners should be better equipped physically and mentally if they can put themselves in a similar position again come the spring time. Arteta certainly has a stronger squad at his disposal now, having also signed Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber in the summer window.

Raya was the final piece of the puzzle, and it would make no sense to perform a U-turn now. Arsenal had room to improve in the goalkeeping department, and Arteta didn't hesitate when the opportunity to sign a world-class operator arrived.

Ramsdale, for all his considerable attributes, simply does not fall into that category. He still has plenty of time to improve given his age, but it would make little sense for him to stick around in north London now.

Arsenal have an option to buy Raya outright for £27m ($33m) next summer, and it would be a huge surprise if they don't take it up. He certainly never showed any signs of being error-prone at Brentford, who overachieved thanks to his brilliant performances as their last line of defence.

Raya deserves to start against Tottenham on Sunday, and another strong performance could help Arsenal make a huge statement of intent. It's a shame that Ramsdale may have to watch his last north London derby from the bench, but the Gunners are moving on - and so should he.