David Raya or Aaron Ramsdale: Who is the better goalkeeper?

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<p>&mdash; RL (@RL_Comps) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://twitter.com/RL_Comps/status/1686327438241132544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 1, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <h2><strong>Distribution</strong></h2> <p>Ramsdale and Raya are both renowned for their comfort in possession, and it is the main reason why Arsenal have pursued them.</p> <p>The incumbent elevated &lsquo;Artetaball&rsquo; to new heights through his build-up play and fearlessly goads attackers into pressing so he can open up midfield passing lanes.</p> <p>His ability to punt the ball long distances at goal kicks <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://fbref.com/en/players/98ea5115/David-Raya">(average length = 53.8 yards)</a> also allows us to progress into advanced areas from second phases and, despite occasional errors, the team gains far more from Ramsdale&rsquo;s varied passing than it loses.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Raya ranks among the world&#8217;s best for long-range distribution and generally gets the accuracy and weight of his pass just right, which once prompted Jurgen Klopp to label him a &#8220;number 10&#8221;. But the Spaniard is, surprisingly, less reliable over shorter distances as he sometimes panics when pressurised and chooses the wrong passing option, thereby putting a huge strain on his defensive teammates.</p> <p>Mistakes come with the ball-playing territory, and his incredible long-distance passing means Raya just shades it. But it is close.</p> <p><strong>Verdict: Raya &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide&#8230;</em></p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span>&nbsp;Shot-stopping </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135602" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135602" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1220,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1437561658.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1220" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1437561658.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1437561658-768x586.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1437561658-1536x1171.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">David Raya prevented the fourth-highest number of goals in the Premier League last season. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2><strong>Shot-stopping</strong></h2> <p>In relation to traditional goalkeeper duties, it looks like Raya has the upper hand.</p> <p>Brentford faced a greater volume of shots than Arsenal last year and that is reflected in the two players’ contrasting save numbers, with Raya making 154 saves compared to Ramsdale’s 95. The Bees’ man also achieved a superior save percentage of 77% (Ramsdale 69%) and would therefore strengthen our backline if he moved to north London.</p> <p>However, this data may be skewed by Brentford’s good defensive work as their organisation forces teams to shoot from distance, which consequently gives Raya every chance to position himself correctly and make the save.</p> <p>Save numbers/percentages also do Ramsdale a disservice because he has consistently excelled in the shot-stopping stakes and pulled off several outstanding saves during our title charge, earning the Save of the Month award for both March and April.</p> <p>But he is prone to the odd mistake, making a joint league-high of six errors leading to shots last term, and so Raya comes out on top again here.</p> <p><strong>Verdict: Raya</strong></p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Dealing with high balls </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135603" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135603" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1391790028-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1391790028-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1391790028-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1391790028-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1391790028-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Raya is brave in the air. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2><strong>Dealing with high balls</strong></h2> <p>Unlike the close calls in ‘Distribution’ and ‘Shot-stopping’, Raya storms ahead of Ramsdale in this particular category.</p> <p>Aerial competence is a major plus with Raya as he acts decisively and uses his stocky frame to outmuscle attackers for high balls, making 52 such claims in 2022/23 with an aerial-duel success rate of 95%. The 27-year-old judges the crowded penalty box scene extremely well and knows when to punch or catch, while he shows incredible bravery to collect the ball under pressure.</p> <p>On the other hand, Ramsdale leaves much to be desired in the air and sometimes fails to take control when vacating the goal-line, with poor goals conceded against both Aston Villa and Manchester United last season directly linked to his aerial weaknesses.</p> <p>A meagre <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://fbref.com/en/players/466fb2c5/Aaron-Ramsdale">22 high claims and 80% aerial win rate</a> suggest there is plenty of room for improvement, while Raya has set the standard.</p> <p><strong>Verdict: Raya  </strong></p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1v1s &amp; conclusion </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_133473" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133473" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2527,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1251123910.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2527" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1251123910.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1251123910-768x606.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Aaron Ramsdale has improved drastically in one-on-one situations. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2><strong>One-on-one situations</strong></h2> <p>To excel one-on-one is important in a high-line team, and Ramsdale is one of the best around.</p> <p>From Eberechi Eze on the opening night to Ben Chilwell in May, our number one has repeatedly shown his worth in these isolated situations and earned Arsenal many valuable points as a result.</p> <p>His willingness to hold position until the last second shifts all the pressure onto the attacker and puts huge doubt in their mind for the finish, while quick feet and athleticism enable Ramsdale to fearlessly throw himself in harm’s way and prevent a goal.</p> <p>Strangely, despite his sweeper-keeper status, Raya is impulsive and less reliable when setting himself for one-on-ones – often charging out early before being rounded by the opponent or even committing a foul.</p> <p>He is also quite small in goalkeeping terms (1.83m) and therefore finds it harder to close down all shooting angles, giving forwards some dangerous leeway to consider their finishing options.</p> <p>It is an area Raya can improve in, and there are signs that he has already done so, but his short frame indicates this scenario will always present some difficulties. Arsenal cannot afford to wait on him.</p> <p><strong>Verdict: Ramsdale</strong></p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="5IvhaEZoVD"><p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/everything-to-know-arsenal-target-bitello/">Everything you need to know about Arsenal target Bitello</a></p></blockquote> <p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="“Everything you need to know about Arsenal target Bitello” — Pain in the Arsenal" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/ramsdale-raya-who-better-goalkeeper/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/01/everything-to-know-arsenal-target-bitello/embed/#?secret=GS53UpvKKX#?secret=5IvhaEZoVD" data-secret="5IvhaEZoVD" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div> <p><strong>Conclusion: David Raya</strong></p> <p>Ramsdale and Raya share similar profiles and, in terms of distribution and shot-stopping, there is not all that much to separate them. However, the Brentford man edges both categories and offers much more in the air, so he would represent a small upgrade in the goalkeeping department – although Ramsdale won’t give up without a fight.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">