Ramsdale ‘presence’ has calming effect on Arsenal
Everyone inside Turf Moor, from the supporters to the players, knew what was coming when Burnley won a series of late corners on Saturday. Chasing an equaliser against an Arsenal side with a reputation for softness from set-pieces, they packed the six-yard box with giants and repeatedly swung the ball in.
It was a reasonable plan, especially for a team of Burnley’s aerial strength, but Sean Dyche’s side ran into a problem: Aaron Ramsdale.
Time and again, Ramsdale stretched out his long arms and claimed each cross in a sea of bodies.
For Arsenal, there could be no more encouraging or calming sight. Command of the six-yard box is something that Bernd Leno, Ramsdale’s rival for the No1 shirt, has generally lacked. So signing him might finally have addressed one of their biggest weaknesses.
“He has a presence,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who made it clear to his bosses that he wanted Ramsdale, before a £24million fee was finally agreed with Sheffield United. “He dominates his area.”
Ramsdale’s performance against Burnley contrasted sharply with Leno’s against Brentford on the opening day of the season, when Arsenal conceded from a long throw-in. It already seems clear that Ramsdale, with his longer arms and greater physical stature, will not be so easily backed into a corner.
There are still plenty of tests to come, but there is no doubting the size of the impact he has made. The fact he is playing at all is interesting in its own right, as the original plan was for the 23-year-old to be Leno’s medium to long-term successor.
Ramsdale has kept clean sheets in all his three games and has brought a new dimension to Arsenal’s attacking play with his long-range passing.
It might sound basic, but Ramsdale is able to gain much more distance
on his kicks than Leno, giving Arsenal the option of going over the top of opposition defences if they cannot play out from the back. If a team press them high, preventing short passes, then Ramsdale is willing and able to send the ball long.
It is a different sort of weapon for Arsenal, one which they have not had since Emiliano Martinez’s brief but successful period in goal in 2020. “The long balls, he [Ramsdale] has that capacity in the buildup phase when we have to find spaces or look further when the pressure is on,” Arteta said.
With Martin Odegaard’s free-kick providing the one moment of attacking quality for Arsenal, and Ramsdale offering defensive security, this was a satisfying victory for Arteta.
Ramsdale’s enthusiastic celebrations of goals have already made him popular with supporters, and he helped his cause further by giving his shirt to a young fan after the match. If he can maintain this level of performance, and continue to prove wrong those who questioned the size of the transfer fee, those fans will love him soon enough.