Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Manager, Stresses His Commitment to the Club’s Wellbeing as He Explains Dropping Aaron Ramsdale in Favor of David Raya

Mikel Arteta has asserted that he makes every decision with Arsenal’s best interests at heart, ahead of their Champions League group stage clash against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.

The Gunners boss also claimed his decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale for new signing David Raya was not something we have not seen before at the north London outfit. 

It came during a press conference on Monday where the Spanish manager fielded questions on his decision to bring alternate goalkeepers this weekend during their 1-0 victory against Everton at Goodison Park. 

Leandro Trossard scored the solitary goal in the 69th minute of the clash, giving Arteta’s side their fourth league win of the season, with Raya maintaining a clean sheet. 

Questions have been raised on the decision to drop Ramsdale, with Piers Morgan insisting Arteta had ‘humiliated’ the England shot-stopper by dropping him, while others have suggested that it was a tactical move to rest the 25-year-old ahead of this week’s Champions League opener. 

But speaking on his decision to rotate goalkeepers, Arteta admitted that he always acts with the best interests of the team and the football club in his squad selections. 

When asked whether he was surprised at the reaction to drop Ramsdale, Arteta said: ‘I respect opinions and I understand historically what happened, but for me there is nothing different. We’ve been doing it [swapping goalkeepers] for many years. 

‘When Bernd [Leno] was here we bought Aaron [Ramsdale] and I don’t see any differences.

‘It’s my job. I have to answer the questions in the best possible way and the most honest way and as a manager my job is to do what I feel. And what I feel is always the best for the team and for the club. Not for Mikel, no.’ 

Mail Sport reported at the start of the month that Ramsdale was sweating over his position as Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper. 

The Gunners signed the Spanish shot stopper on a season long-loan from Brentford, with the move being branded as ‘pathetic’ by Ben Foster, while Shay Given said ‘Arsenal were signing a problem.’

Meanwhile, Arteta also opened up on how he was feeling ahead of his side’s opening Champions League game. 

It’ll be the first time the north London outfit will have played in the tournament since the 2016-17 campaign that saw them reach the round of 16 where they were beaten 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich. 

‘Proud and excited,’ he said in anticipation of the game against PSV.

‘It’s been a long time for the club since we have been in the competition and obviously it’s the first time for me as a manager, so I’m really looking forward to it.

But Arteta was remaining grounded when asked about his side’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stages saying: ‘That’s what we want to do, but this is football and tomorrow we’re going to play against a really good team. 

‘They haven’t lost a game [this season] and they have won the majority of them, and they are used to winning like every other team that is in the Champions League. It will be a really tough test, I’m sure about that. 

More to follow…