Arsenal: 3 positives of Aaron Ramsdale signing

3. Aaron Ramsdale Has Qualities Arsenal Need

With the focus so heavily centred around where Ramsdale’s weaknesses lie it’s become too easy to gloss over the positive aspects of his game.

Playing for two sides over the past 24 months who have shipped an obscene number of goals, the focus has been on the goals that Ramsdale conceded, not prevented. As per goalkeeping analyst John Harrison, close range shots are one of the 23-year-old’s strong point.

While he may struggle at long range one-on-one’s, at close proximity Ramsdale’s lightening fast speed of thought and pace off his line are valuable tools to snuffing out excellent chances for the opposition. Spreading himself wide he charges at the man with the ball with a bravery that is vitally useful elsewhere.

Leno has plenty of critics for his distribution, but his command of the penalty box can also be found lacking. Coming for crosses and claiming high balls are not his forte, whereas Ramsdale is an extremely vocal goalkeeper who comes for deliveries with confidence and calmness, even if his decision-making can be questionable on occasion.

And it’s understandably not perfect because Ramsdale isn’t perfect. Far from it. Statistically, at least, he’s very much an ‘average’ goalkeeper. However, this needs to come with the caveat of him playing in some atrocious defences where anyone facing 20-30 shots per game is going to have to be relentlessly active and focussed.

There is plenty of room for improvement, the like which Arsenal believe is inevitable, and they want that to take place in north London.

As do we.