Arsenal need a new ‘elite’ goalkeeper and that’s not David Raya

Is David Raya good enough to win the Premier League with Arsenal? We also have more mails on Spurs and Ange Postecoglou.

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Arsenal DO need a better goalkeeper

I usually despise any criticism Will Ford has regarding Arsenal but I happen to agree strongly with his and Troy Deeney’s (another one whose comments have annoyed in the past) recent takes that we probably need a better goalkeeper if we are really going to win the big trophies.

He’s been mainly solid but that’s now three massive head-scratchers in recent weeks that have completely turned games on their head – twice before to very dire consequences.

He put Gabriel in a really bad spot for the Gnabry goal in that first leg (though Gabriel should still do better), I have no idea what he was trying to do for the cross on Bailey’s goal against Villa (though Rice at the back post should do better), and now this in the NLD. The first two were punished ruthlessly by both teams – the third was against Spurs.

And despite the parenthetical caveats, an actually elite goalkeeper (even just “very good” IMO) usually does much better in at least one if not all of these situations – completely changing the trajectory/potential of our season. These are the exact margins that are coming to define not just our season right now but most any season for any team wanting to compete in the “elite” bracket.

The clean sheets are definitely mainly due to the defenders in front of him and as Will Ford mentioned the stats do show he does not do well to save the few shots he faces. Raya is still young and can improve but – standards being high at the level at which we want to compete and all – I would like to see that improvement happen in-season, week-by-week (this also goes for the entire squad) and he’s now had three major instances in a relatively short span (that has coincided with our biggest games) that show he unfortunately probably can’t be trusted and we probably already have to start thinking about transfer options. And really good ones.

I hope I’m wrong and Arteta looks like he will give him a chance to prove me wrong next season but it’s definitely a space worth watching.

MAW, LA Gooner (Bournemouth 5th in the table since November and 3rd since March – the trappiest of trap games)

📣 TO THE COMMENTS! Do Arsenal need a new goalkeeper? Join the debate here.

Spurs are superb and awful in equal measure

Having read 16 Conclusions on the match, watched the match itself and the MOTD2 highlights, I am clearly a glutton for punishment.

Spurs were beaten by Arsenal, again. Arteta has fashioned an excellent team that might just pip Manchester City for the title, they are that good. But, if you only read 16 conclusions, you could come away thinking that Spurs were cannon fodder for an imperious Arsenal side so much better than their north London rivals, this was a routine win, despite the expected NLD chaos. 16 Conclusions would have you believe that Spurs are a profoundly silly team with a dogmatic manager and an assorted group of unserious players and also rans whereas Arsenal sit above everyone else as the newly complete team that Arteta has fashioned.

The truth is that Spurs are superb and awful in equal measures, capable of losing control and dominating teams in their first season of AngeBall. They have some way to go, which Postecoglou knows and the wasted years under Mourinho and Conte need to be overcome.

Arsenal have built their success out of the failures of the post Wenger years, there is no doubt that Declan Rice is exactly what Arsenal needed, that Kai Havertz has surprised everyone and made a spectacular contribution to what might turn out to be Arsenal’s first title in 20 years. Fair minded people would agree that they deserve to be where they are, they have put in the work, they have played through adversity and are a stronger team than they have been in decades.

But, for all this, they still have not won a title and the view that if they do not win it this year, then they will next year is fanciful. We know only too well that injuries to key players can derail any title challenge and that Arteta uses the same players week in week out. The NLD played out like you would expect at this stage of the season, the team that has had 5 years to eliminate their weaknesses emerged victorious.

The 3 nil half time score flattered them though, yes they were the better team but also as good as they were, they had a great deal of luck. Romero should have scored, Kulusevski was fouled and it should have been a penalty and van de Ven’s goal should have stood. These are the intangibles that can control the narrative of a match, especially the NLD.

That Spurs brough the match back to 3-2 says a great deal about both sides, but equally, luck played its part in the result. Var and Michael Oliver played their parts as well and even when it was an obvious kick by Rice on Davies, Oliver waived it away, despite being only feet away from the spectacular kick in the balls. VAR and the ref’s decisions had an impact on this match, that should be recognised as much as the stunning brilliance of Arsenal’s second goal or their complete set piece dominance. Arsenal deserved their win, but only just, they should have never allowed it to become so close in the end.

David (Arsenal are better and that hurts more than anything) COYS

Ange has been found out!

Ange had great success in the early days because the other managers were not familiar with his methods. Well they’ve all worked him out now and as the mail says, he has no plan B. Not getting an out and out striker after Kane left doesn’t help.

Sam