The battle between the sticks: Aaron Ramsdale v Bernd Leno

AR1

The battle between the sticks: Aaron Ramsdale v Bernd Leno


By Oli Dickson Jefford


The £24m signing of Aaron Ramsdale raised the eyebrows of many to say the least...
The size of that fee and potential add-ons raised concerns, as did the fact that a new keeper was not necessarily something fans craved for.
While not quite at David Seaman or Jens Lehmann’s level, Bernd Leno has proven to be a solid keeper in the past few seasons with the club’s main concerns lying elsewhere on the pitch.
However, it now looks like Leno’s position as the No.1 is under threat after Ramsdale’s impressive performance in the 1-0 win against Burnley last week. 
In one of the most significant matches of the 23-year-old's career to date, he was assured and made several key saves.
With Ramsdale hitting the ground running, who should be the No.1? Let’s look at both men.

Bernd Leno

BL1

One clear advantage that Leno has over Ramsdale is experience.
The 29-year-old has established himself as Arsenal’s No.1 for a few seasons now and while the club isn’t competing at the desired level, they are still an established top-ten side.
He has plenty of league experience and has played European football for the Gunners - something the club will hope returns next season. 
Leno has also played alongside and formed relationships with several key players, though with some new faces arriving that may work to his disadvantage.
There is also arguably less pressure on Leno.
Having played for Arsenal for a number of years and without price tag pressure, he may be able to play with greater freedom than Ramsdale initially.
However while the German is largely reliable, there have been a handful of occasions where he has cost his side with silly errors - think Wolves last season...
Though most keepers make similar mistakes throughout their career, some of Leno’s previous errors do leave a sense with some fans that he can never quite be 100% trusted.

Aaron Ramsdale

AR2

Perhaps the main argument in favour of Ramsdale is how comfortable he looked against Burnley.
He was cool, calm and collected throughout and was one of Arsenal’s star men as the club picked up a second straight league victory.
There is also a sense that Mikel Arteta and the club’s hierarchy may be building for the future, and that the former Sheffield Utd and Bournemouth man is a part of that.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe are established first XI players, whilst summer signings Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu further signal a focus on young talent.
At just 23, Ramsdale fits into that demographic and could form a solid partnership with White and Tomiyasu for years to come.
One concern, however, is the lack of top-level experience.
He has previously been at Bournemouth and Sheffield Utd and despite performing admirably he had a torrid time at the Blades last season, finishing rock bottom and getting relegated.
Though not necessarily his fault, successive defeats and heavy losses may not inspire confidence in a keeper.
Whilst there is also the argument that he may be under a little pressure stepping right into a side with high expectations, particularly after a high-profile move.

Decision time

Arsenal have been stuck in the doldrums for a while now, and it’s time for a new approach.
That means, while Bernd Leno has done little wrong recently, it is time for Aaron Ramsdale to become the first-choice keeper. 
Arteta is under pressure and one way to ease that is focusing on younger players at the club, giving them time to grow and ultimately help the club slowly rise up the league table.
Arsenal have shown faith in Ramsdale by signing him from the Championship for a significant fee, and they should allow him the chance to flourish from the start.

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more