Paul Merson slammed Aaron Ramsdale on Sky Sports (16/3, 22:28) for his ‘lazy’ mistake to allow Diogo Jota to break the deadlock for Liverpool away to Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Ramsdale has impressed Merson with his performances between the sticks since moving to north London from Sheffield United last August. Mikel Arteta paid £24m, rising to £30m, to land a new shot-stopper, having felt it was time to begin looking beyond Bernd Leno.
It then took Leno just three Premier League games to lose the starting role at the Emirates Stadium. And Arteta has not looked back since, with Ramsdale keeping 12 clean sheets in 24 Premier League games with Arsenal. But he moved onto 22 goals conceded in midweek.
Jota broke the deadlock early in the second-half at Arsenal after Liverpool weathered the Gunners’ relentless first-half pressure. Arteta’s men enjoyed lots of the ball in dangerous positions, but lacked the clinical edge that Jurgen Klopp’s side would show after the break.
Martin Odegaard had enjoyed a great chance to open the scoring coming out of half-time when Alexandre Lacazette seized on Thiago Alcantara’s loose back pass. But Odegaard did not get his shot away in time before Alisson set himself to block the Norwegian’s attempt.
Thiago then atoned for his almost costly error by playing a defence-splitting 24-yard pass down the Reds’ left-hand channel. It freed Jota to burst into the Arsenal area, and drill a low finish in at Ramsdale’s near-post to gift Liverpool the lead with his 13th goal this term.
Merson slams potential ‘top draw’ Arsenal star Ramsdale for ‘lazy’ mistake
Ramsdale disappointed Arsenal hero Merson with his attempted save from Jota’s shot for Liverpool to go ahead. The one-cap England goalkeeper seemed to anticipate the Portugal forward crossing instead of shooting, so could not move his feet in time to set himself.
“It’s poor defending all round, poor goalkeeping,” Merson said. “The goalkeeper gets lazy. He tries to think it’s going to be a cross, he’s sort of trying to cut across that, 100%. You should never, ever get beat at your near post. Never, ever get beat at your near post.”
Merson continued his breakdown of Ramsdale’s attempt at saving Jota’s strike by likening the Arsenal star to his Liverpool counterpart, Alisson. Just four minutes before the forward put the Reds ahead, Alisson had done well to stop Odegaard from breaking the deadlock.
“We’re talking about Ramsdale being a good goalkeeper, and he could be top draw. What great goalkeepers do, they do something when they’ve had nothing to do,” Merson added. “He’s had nothing, Alisson, and he makes a world-class save.
“That was the difference. One makes an unbelievable save, an unbelievable decision when he comes out don’t dive in. At the other end, Ramsdale, who’s been playing great and has been great, he makes the mistake. It’s a horrible job; one mistake and you’re punished.”
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