Stats show why Mikel Arteta prefers David Raya’s calmness over Aaron Ramsdale’s passion

Raya has also been more involved in the build-up play than Ramsdale, averaging 51 touches per match compared with Ramsdale’s 35. Against Bournemouth last week, especially, Raya played a key role in possession, often appearing in the centre-back slot as Arsenal exposed the opposition’s haphazard pressing. In terms of positioning and distribution, he currently appears to be the closest in the league to Ederson, the City goalkeeper.

Perhaps the most obvious stylistic difference between the two goalkeepers is Raya’s willingness to spring off his line to intercept crosses from wide. Opta data shows that he has faced 50 crosses in an Arsenal shirt this season, and that he has stopped 10 of those (20 per cent).

Ramsdale, meanwhile, has faced 28 crosses in the Premier League, and stopped two (seven per cent). This return is roughly the same as last season, when he stopped six per cent of the 381 crosses he faced in the league.

There are, of course, other qualities that are less easily measured. Ramsdale has spent two years building chemistry with his defenders, for example, and has consistently shown that he thrives in hostile environments. There is a mental fortitude to Ramsdale which cannot be converted into numbers, and which Raya must also show at a club of Arsenal’s stature.

To see the way in which Arteta has handled the situation, though, is to be reminded of the Arsenal manager’s first press conference after his appointment in December 2019. Asked what he had taken from his time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City, Arteta said: “What I have learned most is that you have to be ruthless.” When it comes to his goalkeepers, he has certainly stayed true to his word.