Prior to Arsenal’s win over Brentford on Saturday Mikel Arteta’s men had found the net 31 times in their last six league outings.
It’s a remarkable run of form but despite such a wealth of goals, there’s nothing quite like a late winner is there?
Arsenal have been known to find the net deep into games, with the previously aptly known ‘Fergie time’ perhaps needing somewhat of a rebrand. Mikel time, anyone?
The clash with Thomas Frank’s side on Saturday evening looked like a potential banana skin and it nearly turned out to be. That was until Kai Havertz leapt highest with just a matter of minutes left on the clock.
Ben White swept a ball into the box and the former Chelsea man was there to head home and send Arsenal top of the league, at least for a 24 hour period.
That said, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for those in Arsenal colours, notably the rather forlorn-looking Aaron Ramsdale.
Aaron Ramsdale’s last match in Arsenal colours
With David Raya ineligible to face his parent club this weekend, it meant that Ramsdale was presented with an extremely rare opportunity to impress Arteta.
This was the first time we’ve seen the England stopper since the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool in January and the first time he’s played in the league since the reverse fixture with the Bees all the way back in November.
It was always going to be a colossal test for the 25-year-old but it was unfortunately one that he did not pass.
As the first half neared its end with Declan Rice’s headed goal separating the teams, Ramsdale made what would have been an unforgivable mistake had the Gunners dropped points.
Gabriel laid the ball back to the former Sheffield United man close to his goal. Ramsdale dallied on the ball and instead of finding the easy pass to William Saliba, was caught in possession by Yoane Wissa. The end result? A calamitous goal.
It’s a shame because other than that Ramsdale did impress with various aspects of his game, notably his distribution. At one stage in the opening 45 minutes he set Leandro Trossard through on goal with a mind-boggling throw that pierced the Brentford defence like a knife through butter.
He then made two vital stops in the second half that ensured Arsenal could go on to win the game without conceding again.
Sadly, however, this could well be the last we see of Ramsdale in an Arsenal jersey. Regularly linked with a move away Arteta has preferred Raya both domestically and in Europe. With no cup competitions aside from the Champions League, all roads point towards an exit for the fan favourite.
David Raya vs Aaron Ramsdale: 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
Stat (per 90 mins) | Raya | Ramsdale |
Saves | 1.45 | 1.50 |
Save % | 64.7% | 64.3% |
Clean sheet % | 41% | 33% |
Defensive actions outside area | 1.77 | 1.50 |
Pass success | 76% | 70% |
Stats via FBref. | ||
That said, he’s not the only one who should be given the freedom to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer.
Arsenal players who could exit in the summer
As the Gunners gear up for another meaty spending spree in the next transfer window it’s thought that some sales will need to be sanctioned to avoid the scares that come with financial fair play and profit and sustainability.
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Everton, Forest and Manchester City could all be in some serious bother.
Ramsdale’s sale will likely bring in a pretty decent sum of cash, likewise the same could be said of a player like Emile Smith Rowe.
Despite Arsenal’s incredible run of recent games, the Englishman has been seen for just 20 minutes over the last four league wins, notably not even appearing from the bench in the last two games.
To make it a hat-trick of English players departing, Eddie Nketiah could also be told to pack his bags.
Arsenal: Top contributors of goals in 23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
Player | Goals | Assists |
#1 Bukayo Saka | 16 | 15 |
#2 Leandro Trossard | 10 | 2 |
#3 Kai Havertz | 9 | 3 |
#4 Martin Odegaard | 9 | 7 |
#5 Gabriel Martinelli | 8 | 5 |
#6 Gabriel Jesus | 8 | 5 |
#7 Eddie Nketiah | 6 | 5 |
Stats via Transfermarkt. | ||
The fact of the matter is that he’s becoming more and more dispensable as the weeks go by in north London. With Gabriel Jesus injured, Nketiah was often the go-to man for Arteta but as the season has passed by that has changed.
Arguably, you could make a case that he’s now the club’s fourth-choice centre-forward. Leandro Trossard started up front in the 6-0 rout of West Ham while Havertz has been fielded in that role, even with Jesus back, in the last two games.
Havertz has been sublime since being given the honour of leading the line, scoring four goals and supplying two assists in his last four matches. £65m down the drain? We think not.
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Nketiah may have seen a bit more football than Smith Rowe, playing for 35 minutes across the last four domestic fixtures but the fact he wasn’t given a run out at 6-0 up against Sheffield United and indeed when Arsenal needed a goal against Brentford says it all. He didn’t appear from the bench in either clash.
The 24-year-old is in a torrid run of form. His last league goals were the hat-trick he scored against the Blades at home all the way back in October and in all competitions, he’s not found the net since December during a 1-1 draw with PSV in the Champions League.
This is all the while Nketiah takes home a reported wage of £100k-per-week. For context, that’s more than David Raya, it’s more than Trossard and interesting to note, it’s £80k-per-week more than the fervently linked Ivan Toney, a man who got no change out of Arsenal on Saturday.
Consider the club reportedly still want to acquire a forward in the summer and it suggests Nketiah doesn’t really have a future in N5 anymore. Like Ramsdale, he really needs to be given the boot once the window opens for business in a few months.
