IT STARTED WITH A BACKPASS

QUICK GUEST POST WHILE PEDRO IS OUT

Apologies for my absence, have some important things going on. But fear not, one of my fave young writers, Zach Lowy, has prepared this piece for your eyes.

On August 15, 2023, Arsenal signed Brentford’s David Raya on a £3 million loan with a £27 million purchase option.

It was a decision that caused plenty of raised eyebrows and perplexed looks from within the Arsenal fanbase. After all, Aaron Ramsdale had proven to be a reliable pair of gloves since arrived from Sheffield United in 2021. When he left Bramall Lane for the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal were coming off back-to-back eighth place finishes. With Ramsdale in goal, they managed to place fifth in the Premier League table, before challenging Manchester City for the league title and finishing second in the 2022/23 season.

Ramsdale’s bravery and ability to command his own box had turned doubters into believers, keeping 14 clean sheets across the campaign and transforming the Gunners from also-rans into genuine title contenders. What’s more, his shot-stopping heroics had seen him beat out the likes of David De Gea and Alisson to a spot in the Premier League Team of the Season. To discard Ramsdale for a player three years older seemed almost sacrilegious for the Arsenal faithful.

As time went on, Mikel Arteta’s decision came under increasing scrutiny. Raya struggled in his debut season in North London, making a number of glaring errors and getting caught out in crosses and set-pieces. With Ramsdale languishing on the bench, more and more Arsenal fans were left flummoxed, and some even accused him of preferring Raya due to them sharing a Spanish passport.

And yet, Arteta stuck by his guns and continued with Raya in goal. His stubbornness soon bore fruit — Raya saved two penalties to lead Arsenal past Porto and into their first UEFA Champions League quarterfinal in 14 years, whilst he also became the second goalkeeper in Premier League history to keep six straight away clean sheets after Edwin van der Sar in 2008/09. Raya was awarded the Golden Glove after registering a league-high 16 clean sheets, whilst he also followed in Ramsdale’s footsteps by making it into the PFA Team of the Season. Whilst there was plenty of frustration amongst the fanbase after missing out on the championship to City on the final day, none of it was targeted at Raya. Having started the season as a zero, he was quickly emerging as a hero.

Arsenal triggered their purchase option and signed him to a long-term contract, whilst Ramsdale headed to Southampton in search of playing time. Today, it’s clearer than ever that Arteta’s choice has aged like fine wine. With Raya in goal, Arsenal have emerged as a defensive fortress, conceding the fewest goals in England’s top-flight. He’s compensated for his physical shortcomings by being proactive on and off the ball, snuffing out crosses early, and coming off his line at a moment’s notice to prevent the opposing attacker from getting a clean shot on goal. At 29, Raya continues to stake his claim as one of the finest goalkeepers on the continent, vindicating Arteta’s comments from February:

“What I like about David as well is what he does in goal - the things he prevents us from, you don’t even see because they don’t happen, because he has anticipated them. Obviously he had the environment that was very challenging, but that’s what I love about him. The players with the courage and the character and personality. When even it is like this, they want to be themselves and they push themselves to do that.”

There are many reasons why Arteta preferred Raya over Ramsdale, but perhaps were none were more influential than his ability on the ball. Today, it doesn’t suffice for a modern goalkeeper to just be great with his hands — he’s also got to be great with his feet.

It’s a trend that has been three decades in the making, ever since the back-pass rule was introduced in 1992. The 1990 FIFA World Cup was criticised for its excessively tedious style of play, rife with time-wasting and cagey tactics, and the 1992 UEFA European Championship continued this pattern. It was clear that something had to change.

“It's definitely changed the game for the better and sped things up,” said ex Australia goalkeeper Mark Bosnich of the back pass rule. “I remember when teams used to just score a goal and then turn around from the halfway line and whack it back to their goalkeeper. It's definitely improved the game’s entertainment value.”

Bosnich spent his first few years in England with Manchester United, back when teams could simply boot the ball back to their goalkeeper, who could then pick the ball up and shave time off the clock. He would end up returning to Down Under due to work permit issues, only to head back to the UK after just a few months and join Aston Villa. When Bosnich finally started to play for Villa in the 1992/93 season, goalkeepers were having to adjust to a new rule and a new way of playing the game. Suddenly, keepers could no longer handle the ball after receiving a pass from their teammate — doing so would result in an indirect free kick. Apart from rare exceptions, like when receiving a headed pass, goalkeepers could not pick up the ball. Instead, they had to control the ball with their feet and maneuver out of pressure.

As a result of this rule change, teams nowadays prioritize ball-playing goalkeepers, players who don’t just have the kicking power and precision to find a teammate in advanced areas, but who also have the technical finesse to dribble out of pressure and work the ball up the pitch. Outfield players need to be able to trust their goalkeeper when passing back to him, and they need to be able to rely on him to make the right decision in the most high-pressure, high-risk scenarios. When you look at the past starting goalkeepers in Premier League-winning teams, be that Ederson, Alisson or Thibaut Courtois, all of them have the capacity to attract pressure and successfully maneuver these onrushing opponents before progressing it to an unmarked player.

It’s why more and more goalkeepers are getting involved in rondo drills and training their possession skills with their fellow teammates. It’s why, for all his shot-stopping skills, Fraser Forster simply doesn’t inspire the same trust from Tottenham’s defenders that Guglielmo Vicario does. It’s why Manchester United decided to move on from David De Gea and bring in André Onana. And it’s why Arsenal are reaching a new dimension with David Raya between the sticks.