Before taking over at the Etihad, manager Pep Guardiola decided that Joe Hart was not suitable for the team. In contrast, Aaron Ramsdale made over 80 appearances for Mikel Arteta before being dropped by the Spaniard.
This was a cruel decision by Arteta, especially since Ramsdale has just won his fourth England cap. However, the 26-year-old goalkeeper has only made one more appearance for the "Three Lions" since then, in the loss to Iceland. And he will return to the Emirates this weekend as a Southampton player.
In four appearances for the Saints since his £25 million move in late August, Ramsdale has conceded 10 Premier League goals. However, a year ago, there was a lot of sympathy for Ramsdale in the context of David Raya's unimpressive start. The Spanish goalkeeper made some serious mistakes.
There may still be sympathy for Ramsdale, especially given Southampton's potential. And of course, he will be warmly welcomed when he steps up to the Emirates.
But one thing is for sure, there is not a single Arsenal fan who does not believe in Arteta's decision. And that is the kind of decision that the best managers need to make. The Spaniard is now fully established in Arteta's squad. In short, replacing Ramsdale with Raya was the right move for this strategist.
Despite not having much action in the 2-0 win over PSG in the Champions League, this was still the second consecutive match Raya did not concede a goal in this tournament. Especially in the draw with Atalanta, the 29-year-old goalkeeper had 2 consecutive miraculous saves. But that was not even Raya's best save of the season. His save to deny Ollie Watkins at Villa Park in August was the highlight.
At the time of starting to replace Ramsdale, most people thought it was because Raya played better with his feet. And while that may be true, Raya has now established himself as one of the best reflex goalkeepers in the world.
Of course, Raya has also benefited greatly from the solid defence Arteta has built. But the formidable defence has also been boosted by confidence, with an excellent Raya behind them.
Top coaches often have to make important decisions every day in their careers. But few things are as important as choosing who will stand in the goal.
Guardiola's decision initially seemed ill-advised as Claudio Bravo had a forgettable season. However, Ederson arrived a year later and the rest is history.
Arteta's decision was also questioned at first, but now Raya is inspiring the Gunners to victory.
