Ramsdale's Struggles Exposed

In the aftermath of Arsenal's disappointing performance against Fulham during Saturday's London derby, Martin Keown didn't hold back in highlighting issues in the team's defense, particularly focusing on Aaron Ramsdale's positioning.

Hoping to maintain their flawless start to the season, the Gunners were met with a nightmare beginning when Bukayo Saka's misplaced backpass gifted Andreas Pereira an unexpected shooting opportunity from a distance.

The situation was worsened as the former Manchester United midfielder exploited Ramsdale's misplacement and lack of balance. Executing a deft maneuver, Pereira managed to clip the ball past the scrambling goalkeeper at his near post, leaving Ramsdale desperately backpedaling.

This incident wasn't an isolated one. Ramsdale's vulnerability in similar scenarios was previously exposed in the Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon last season, where Pedro Goncalves capitalized on the goalkeeper's poor positioning.

Expressing his concerns about Arsenal's recurring trend of sluggish starts at their home ground, the Emirates Stadium, under Mikel Arteta's guidance, Keown remarked, "This echoes the struggles we witnessed towards the end of the previous season, where Arsenal faltered in capitalizing on their advantageous position in the title race."

Keown went on to shed light on Ramsdale's positioning issues, questioning the goalkeeper's tendency to stray so far off his line. The pundit's uncertainty about Ramsdale's decision-making was evident as he observed, "The frequency with which Ramsdale finds himself out of position raises valid questions, and I remain uncertain about the reasoning behind this approach. Pereira's successful strike into the near post is a clear example of this."

By dissecting the events of the match and Ramsdale's recurring struggles, Keown's analysis draws attention to the underlying concerns plaguing Arsenal's defensive setup. As the team aspires to regain its footing, rectifying these issues will undoubtedly be a focal point for Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff.