Mikel Arteta awkwardly swerved questions about Aaron Ramsdale’s jittery display after Arsenal’s last-gasp win over Brentford.
Not even Kai Havertz’s late winner, which sent the Gunners to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season, could mask a difficult evening for the England stopper. Ramsale was back in the spotlight on his first league appearance since September 3 with David Raya, now seemingly the club’s undisputed number one, still on loan from Brentford and ineligible to face his parent club.
But the 25-year-old made a horribly nervous start which almost gifted the Bees an early goal, hesitating with a clearance and allowing Yoane Wissa to pinch the ball. Luckily for Ramsdale, Declan Rice had spotted the danger and got back to clear Bryan Mbeumo’s shot off the line before Wissa put the rebound wide.
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Ramsdale hid his face under his shirt following another embarrassing error before half-time, somehow letting the ball slip out of his hand, although the danger was cleared. In his post-match interview with TNT Sports, Arteta twice ducked questions about Ramsdale from reporter Jules Breach.
“I’m so happy with the team, with the way we performed, the clean sheet. I’m so happy with the way everyone played,” he said first.
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Then, when Breach pointed out Ramsdale was “nervy at times”, Arteta again flat-batted the question, simply saying: “I think the team was exceptional today.”
Arteta did open up a little more on Ramsdale during his press conference with written media. He said: “This is football, I’m so happy with the team, we kept a clean sheet and we move on. He [Ramsdale] has big courage, big personality and that’s why we love him. I enjoy to see the players encouraging each other.”
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On match-winner Havertz, who had scored just one other goal for the club, the Spaniard added: “That’s the beauty of it, when things come easy you don’t value it. We love him for a reason and the way he behaves in difficult moments. We could not be happier that a big player like him won the game.
“I’m so happy, when you have opportunity to go top and you come to Brentford, an uncomfortable place to come, the team showed so much willingness to compete.”
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