• kirphioc2004@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Most stats this season show otherwise from passing percentage to save percentage to the amount of clean sheets. These stats also go back to last season where Raya was statistically one of the best keepers in the league.

    Maybe the one nervy moment in the City game which was a bad back pass and the Lens game too Raya has been amazing.

    • NiallMitch10@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I think the key part is that yes Raya had that nervy moment against City… But still stuck to the gameplan.

      If that were Ramsdale - he maybe would have went away from the plan a little and starting kicking long and playing the ball without drawing an attacker onto him.

      I do really like Ramsdale but that does seem to be his weakness in the eyes of Arteta

      • qtdsswk@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Exactly. He would boot the ball long 100% even if Mikel asked him to play short in situations like that.

      • Kill_Bill_Will@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        We started breaking through more, and eventually scored when we played long balls though. As committed as Raya was to the game plan, playing short didn’t really work except maybe it set up the long ball option better for the second half.

        • NiallMitch10@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          Except Raya’s long ball tactic is a directed ball to Jesus who is very impressive at retaining the ball in the air for his size and also when we had the likes of Partey, Tomi and Havertz on (all big players).

          Raya does play it long yes but it’s not without reason

          • Kill_Bill_Will@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            Jesus is great at ball retention, but not at winning aerial duels against fullbacks who tower over him. The long ball tactic only started coming off once we had Havertz subbed on to bang those balls into. Raya played some magnificent balls in the second half no doubt, but Ramsdale had talked about how Arteta had given him the freedom to play the ball he felt comfortable playing. Now it’s getting banged to death that Raya “stuck with the gameplan” of playing it short which he barely got away with. If he makes a mistake in that first half and we concede one or two then nobody would be mentioning this at all.