Aaron Ramsdale criticised by Martin Keown after Arsenal’s nightmare start against Fulham

Martin Keown aimed a dig at Aaron Ramsdale following Arsenal’s nightmare start against Fulham in Saturday’s London derby.

Looking to extend their 100% start to the season, the Gunners got off to the worst possible start when Bukayo Saka’s stray backpass presented Andreas Pereira with a shooting opportunity from distance.

The former Manchester United midfielder caught Ramsdale out of position and off balance and clipped the ball beyond the frantically backpedaling goalkeeper at his near post.

Ramsdale’s Positioning Called Into Question

It is not the first time Arsenal’s No.1 has been caught out in the fashion with Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Goncalves taking advantage of Ramsdale’s positioning in last season’s Europa League tie.

Reacting to another sloppy start in a home fixture at the Emirates Stadium by Mikel Arteta’s side, Keown said: ‘This was something we saw often at the end of last season when Arsenal didn’t take advantage of their lead in the title race.

‘Ramsdale is so far off his line, he does this so often and I’m not sure why, and Pereira shoots into the near post.’

Raya Signing Adds Pressure

The spotlight and pressure on Ramsdale has increased following Arteta’s decision to sanction the signing of former Brentford star David Raya who joined the club on an initial 12-month loan last week.

Arteta insisted Raya’s signing was a necessity but former Manchester United star Gary Neville fears boasting two goalkeepers of comparable ability will cause Arsenal problems this season.

‘I think you need a clear number one and then a clear number two, that’s my view,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘I’ve had experiences at Manchester United where we’ve had clear number ones and number twos and then where we’ve had in some situations two equal-ish goalkeepers.

‘The problem is you have a situation where every time a goalkeeper makes a mistake – which they inevitably do – you then end up asking will he then play the next guy the next week.’

Conclusion

Aaron Ramsdale has been criticised by Martin Keown following Arsenal’s nightmare start against Fulham. His positioning has been called into question and with the signing of David Raya, the spotlight and pressure on Ramsdale has increased. It remains to be seen how Mikel Arteta will manage his goalkeeping situation this season.