Arsenal have enjoyed a stellar start to the Premier League season despite failing to blow away any of the opposition they have faced, but Mikel Arteta will be delighted with the relentless winning mentality that has them unbeaten after five games, having won four.
Their latest victory even saw them overcome a longstanding hoodoo, brushing aside Everton and Goodison Park to claim a slender 1-0 victory; their first in that ground since 2017 under Arsene Wenger.
The work that their Spanish tactician has done in revitalising a club that seemed destined for years of transitional misery following the retirement of the legendary Frenchman has been miraculous, with the time and confidence invested in him finally paying dividends. The 41-year-old has been cutthroat when needed, incisive in the market and intelligent in his tactical manoeuvres, all of which culminated in last term's title push, and this season's renewed title ambitions.
It is the combination with Edu in the market that truly deserves praise though, given the way they have slowly built a squad capable of challenging for elite honours once again. At last, they boast depth in every position, with the hope being that they can soon surpass their current form, with it largely recognised that the Gunners have hardly had to step out of third gear.
What emphasises that newfound squad depth more than anything is the quality of backup goalkeeper recruited in the summer, with the battle for number one this campaign sure to be an enthralling one.
Who is Arsenal's starting goalkeeper?
When quizzed after yesterday's win on Merseyside, Arteta spoke about his decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale for compatriot David Raya. He cited an example from last year: "I have few regrets. It was on two occasions, that after 60 minutes & at 85 minutes in two games, I could have changed the keeper & I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to do it. We drew those games & I was so unhappy."
The Spaniard would then claim: "Someone is going to do it [change goalkeeper mid-game] & it’ll be strange & you’ll ask why, but tell me why not? If you have all the qualities in another goalkeeper to do something, or if something is happening & you want to change the momentum, then do it."
It is clear that already the lines between starting and backup goalkeeper have been blurred by the revolutionary manager, who is not seeking to pit the two against one another, but instead work together for the betterment of the team.
As such, the on-loan ace helped to underpin their passing philosophy yesterday in a game where they likely knew they would dominate possession. Raya would enjoy a largely quiet afternoon to keep a clean sheet, but perhaps most impressively record a 94% pass accuracy, hitting seven of his nine attempted long balls, via Sofascore.
Clearly a decision that has worked well, the England international will now be well-rested and ready to star in their return to Champions League football this Wednesday. That's if he's selected, of course.
Given how Ramsdale performed last season, with his 6.86 Sofascore average rating and 2.5 saves per game largely aiding their push for the Premier League, it marks an almost impossible task to distinguish him from his new goalkeeping competitor.
Despite whether he is recognised as the number one or not, the former Bournemouth man's rise to prominence has been a startling one, and his contribution to this side cannot be understated. After all, Statman Dave would even claim: "Aaron Ramsdale has had an outstanding impact since joining Arsenal."
How much did Arsenal pay for Aaron Ramsdale?
Signing the shot-stopper from a club that had just been relegated, many laughed at the fee Edu paid to tempt the 25-year-old to trade Sheffield United for the Emirates.
Admittedly, the £24m expended did seem foolish at the time, a notion which pundit and former Arsenal favourite Paul Merson agreed with: "No-one else is trying to sign Aaron Ramsdale either – and he’s let in 125 goals in two seasons in the Premier League!"
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea)
€80m (£68.8m)
Alisson (AS Roma to Liverpool)
€62.5m (£53.7m)
Ederson (Benfica to Manchester City)
€40m (£34.3m)
Jordan Pickford (Sunderland to Everton)
€28.5m (£24.5m)
Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United to Arsenal)
€28m (£24m)
Whilst still somewhat erratic at times, this has largely proven to be exceptional business, with the former Blade having grown into one of the division's finest in his role.
How much was Aaron Ramsdale worth at Sheffield United?
What made the fee paid even more ludicrous was Ramsdale's value at the time, which unsurprisingly had taken another hit after enduring a second relegation in as many seasons.
In the months before he would make his north London move, Transfermarkt only had a lowly €12m (£10.3m) figure attached to his name.
Although many of the critics regarding the deal have since been silenced, most of their frustrations were understandably well-placed, given the prior two trying terms of the 6 foot 2 ace, and the huge fee paid.
What is Aaron Ramsdale's market value now?
Since becoming a mainstay for a club now challenging at the other end of the league table, that valuation is one which has unsurprisingly skyrocketed.
In fact, CIES Football Observatory clearly rates him more than most, as they have handed the four-cap maverick a mouth-watering €80m (£69m) rating.
2022/23 (Arsenal)
38
43
2021/22 (Arsenal)
34
39
2020/21 (Sheffield United)
38
63
2019/20 (AFC Bournemouth)
37
62
Although Ramsdale's performances have been admirable, and clear growth can be documented with each passing year, many would likely question that figure in the same way they did the initial fee paid to sign him.
Why is Aaron Ramsdale worth that much?
It would be easy to put this rise in valuation down to an increased stature in the game, which the enigmatic keeper has clearly enjoyed, but to earn such a rapid rise is due to much more than just that.
Performances cannot be as poor as some make out, and with the glowing testimony his manager has issued, this notion should be emphasised:
"He has been really, really good and probably against the odds because when you look at his past and where he was coming from, he got relegated twice, it was difficult to imagine it. But we saw he had that character, charisma, and personality to play for our club and he had the potential qualities to feed into our way of playing. When you see the development he had the past two seasons, I think he is exceptional."
Ramsdale is a fine shot-stopper and an impressive ball-playing goalkeeper, with all the personality in the world and a nationality that lends to such a high value. Everything is in favour of the £120k-per-week star, whose presence in Europe's elite competition could even promote another spike in that figure.
