Arsenal might have counted a draw at Anfield as a success, given their troubles at that ground in the past, but to relinquish another 2-0 lead at West Ham United is not quite as understandable.
David Moyes’ men had been hammered 5-1 in their last home encounter against Newcastle United, and when the Gunners scored twice inside ten minutes, the home fans must have feared another drubbing.
However, whether it be through complacency or a mentality issue, Mikel Arteta had to watch his team throw it all away, thus handing Manchester City a golden opportunity to reclaim the Premier League crown.
The contrast between the two games was mainly down to just how busy Aaron Ramsdale was in the clash on Merseyside compared to his return to the capital, as a draw arguably flattered the title-chasing outfit in the former.
Many rushed to laud the former Sheffield United shot-stopper as the sole reason for picking up a vital point after his stunning succession of saves from Mo Salah and Ibrahima Konate. However, as is always the way with players in such an important role, one mistake can so easily see your stock plummet.
From being their Anfield hero one week, the 24-year-old did not take long to be dragged down to a zero at the London Stadium.
How did Aaron Ramsdale play vs West Ham United?
With a 6.91 average rating this season, Ramsdale has held himself to impressively high standards across a campaign that could still end with the ultimate silverware.
It marks a meteoric rise from back-to-back relegation with the Blades and AFC Bournemouth. Despite that, at £24m Arteta saw value in the youngster, and he has been the number one at the Emirates ever since.
Upholding an average of 2.4 saves per match, whilst keeping 12 clean sheets in the league, few could question his dependability as the last line of defence. However, against the Hammers that was unfortunately not the case.
Earning a 6.3 rating, of which only two others on the field recorded lower, the goalkeeper was surprisingly unconvincing at the back for his side. He would make just one save and one punch all game, and yet when truly called upon, the £60k-per-week ace went missing.
With Arsenal on the back foot as West Ham pushed for an equaliser, Jarrod Bowen’s volleyed snapshot should have been a comfortable effort for Ramsdale to push aside. However, it instead squirmed in at his near post, leaving him remonstrating with the linesman for respite that would never come.
Journalist Josh Bunting then suggested that: “Aaron Ramsdale has to do better there at his near post though.”
From last game’s four-save display, many of which were truly outstanding stops, yesterday marked a vicious downturn.
As aforementioned, the goalkeeping position will always remain as such, where one mistake can define a performance; no other role on the pitch warrants that kind of scrutiny.
However, when fighting for elite honours, everyone has to be faultless. They cannot afford to switch off, and given that Arteta’s number one clearly did at this moment, it cements his fall from hero to zero in the space of just one week.