Pundit hits out at £30m Arsenal player Mikel Arteta didn’t use at Brentford

Robbie Mustoe has hit out at Mikel Arteta after Arsenal won at Brentford on Saturday, insisting that one player has just not been good this season.

Mustoe was speaking on The 2 Robbies podcast after the Gunners were forced to make a change in goal, with Aaron Ramsdale coming in for David Raya against the Bees.

Raya was ineligible to face his parent club ahead of his expected move to sign permanently for Arsenal in a deal which could cost £30 million.

David Raya yet to really prove himself at Arsenal

That presented Ramsdale with a chance to impress. The 25-year-old, of course, has spent most of his time at the Emirates as number one. And it baffled many when Arteta decided to drop Ramsdale for Raya earlier this season.

Unfortunately, the England international’s lack of minutes showed. Ramsdale nearly gave a goal away by gifting possession to Brentford on the edge of his own six-yard box. And he never really looked entirely comfortable in possession.

It is hard to imagine that Ramsdale will keep his place now. And with that, plenty of Arsenal fans may be pointing the finger of blame at Arteta for rocking the boat.

Certainly, Robbie Mustoe could not understand the decision to sign the Spaniard considering that he has hardly set the world alight since his arrival.

“There was not an issue in goal last year. And all of a sudden, David Raya’s come in, and he hasn’t been good. He hasn’t been as good as what maybe was expected,” he told The 2 Robbies.

“Now you’ve got two goalkeepers who are feeling the pressure. Raya’s had quite a few moments where he’s been caught out. And now the other guy comes in after doing nothing wrong last year, and the first part of this season, and also had a bad game.”

Mikel Arteta still waiting for gamble to pay off

There is absolutely no question that Arteta has taken a huge gamble by signing Raya. On Saturday’s evidence, it is going to take Ramsdale a consistent run of games for him to rebuild his confidence. And that is unlikely to come at Arsenal right now.

So he is largely banking on Raya to come good. He definitely has the ability to be a real success at Arsenal. But as Mustoe notes, the 28-year-old is yet to vindicate Arteta’s gamble.

Arteta really is either the smartest man in the room, or he has tried too hard to convince everyone that he is.