Paul Merson has claimed on Sky Sports (13/01, 21:52) after Arsenal drew with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup that Aaron Ramsdale let Granit Xhaka down for the midfielder’s red card.
Mikel Arteta’s men held on for 66-minutes at Anfield on Thursday to claim a goalless result. They will now host the Reds in north London next week level-pegging in their semi-final tie.
Xhaka returned to the Gunners line-up for their trip to Merseyside, having missed their FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest. Yet his evening was over before half-hour, after Michael Oliver deemed the Swiss to deny a clear goalscoring chance when he fouled Diogo Jota.
Andrew Robertson delivered an inviting lofted pass over the outstretched Arsenal defence to find Jota. Xhaka felt he had to intervene to prevent the Portuguese a chance to shoot, but caught the forward with a high challenge on the edge of Ramsdale’s penalty area.
Liverpool could not make their extra man count, however, and Arsenal held on after valiant work from Ben White. Takumi Minamino also spurned a glaring gift with a near-open net.
Arsenal icon Merson slams Ramsdale role in Xhaka red card at Liverpool
Xhaka’s red card at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg was his fifth for Arsenal across all competitions. It was also his third since Arteta’s appointment in December 2019.
He has also earned 62 yellow cards across 233 games, including 19 in 83 outings under the Spaniard. But Gunners icon Merson feels Arsenal’s £24m summer signing Ramsdale must take some responsibility for the 29-year-old’s latest dismissal.
“The goalkeeper’s been outstanding [this season, but] he has to come,” Merson said. “And if he comes, Jota has a major situation: does he even go for it? If a goalkeeper comes steaming out from 30-yards away, you’re looking at Victoria Cross if you want to get involved in that.
“Very rare someone’s going to get involved. I think the goalkeeper’s positioning, as soon as they all go out and chase and he sees that the centre-half’s gone in as well, he’s got to be another 10-yards up on his box. No one is going to score from 60-yards.
“If he’s up there, I don’t think Robertson even hits that ball. Robertson’s that good a player where he will see where the goalkeeper is. And I just think the goalkeeper, who’s been outstanding, I think there has let Xhaka down, really, ‘cos he wouldn’t have got sent off.”
Ramsdale has been one of the stars of Arsenal’s season proceeding their Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool and Xhaka’s red card. He has kept 11 clean sheets in 19 appearances so far, including nine in 17 Premier League outings. Thursday’s was his first against a top-six side.
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