Arsenal's on-loan Brentford shot-stopper David Raya has claimed that he and Aaron Ramsdale have made one another better goalkeepers since the former ousted his English counterpart.
Ramsdale was instilled as Mikel Arteta's number one to replace Bernd Leno in 2021, fronting up to incessant criticism with a string of marvellous displays in between the sticks for the Gunners.
Ramsdale quickly demoted Leno to second choice ahead of the German's departure last summer, and the England international comfortably kept Matt Turner at bay last term, where Arteta's side launched an unexpected title charge and finished second in the table owing to a late capitulation.
The former Sheffield United and Bournemouth man amassed 14 clean sheets in the 2022-23 Premier League season - only Golden Glove winner David de Gea kept more - but Arteta still wanted to bring in intense competition for Ramsdale.
The Spaniard got his wish as Raya arrived on loan with an option to buy for £27m, which is expected to be triggered at the end of the season, as Arteta sought to reinvent the goalkeeping position in North London.
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Ramsdale and Raya were initially expected to rotate akin to how Jason Steele and Bart Verbruggen have often swapped at Brighton & Hove Albion this season, and Arteta even floated the idea of substituting his goalkeepers in-game.
However, Raya has firmly established himself as Arteta's number one pick in between the sticks, restricting Ramsdale to just five Premier League appearances in the current campaign and one Champions League appearance in a dead-rubber against PSV Eindhoven.
Outside of Europe, Ramsdale's only domestic appearances since the September international break have been against Raya's parent club Brentford, keeping two clean sheets in a pair of 1-0 wins in the EFL Cup and Premier League but making a couple of unpunished howlers in the latter game.
Raya has subjected Arsenal fans to a few heart-in-mouth moments of his own since arriving at the Emirates and did not cover himself in glory for goals conceded to Luton Town, Chelsea and Newcastle United, but Arteta has not lost faith in the 28-year-old amid constant questioning.
Ramsdale's demotion to second fiddle has unsurprisingly led to the rumour mill swirling with stories about his future, but speaking to the Evening Standard, Raya has affirmed that the pair enjoy a positive relationship and have helped to improve one another.
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"He is a top, top goalkeeper and a top, top team-mate. We are team-mates, we are fighting for one position. That's the only problem being a goalkeeper, there is only one that can play and I am just there to help the team as much as possible," Raya said.
"Aaron and me we have a good relationship, especially as we push each other in every training session. That is going to make us better and it is going to make the team better.
"Of course [he has made me a better goalkeeper], and I think I have made him a better goalkeeper. If we see with each other when we are training that we can help each other, that's how we are and that's how we do.
"That's the GK union that from the outside that you see. I am just focused on football. I have been focused on football since I came and I don't listen to the outside world."
Raya kept his fifth Premier League clean sheet of the season in Sunday's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, which saw the Gunners establish a one-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table ahead of Saturday's fascinating trip to Anfield.
At risk of missing out on a place in England's Euro 2024 squad should his playing situation not improve, Ramsdale is believed to be open to an exit from Arsenal in January, but the Gunners are not interested in letting the 25-year-old leave on loan or permanently.
Ben Knapton
