Aaron Ramsdale will return to Arsenal on Saturday in a completely different position from the one he had become accustomed to in north London.
Ramsdale is no longer competing for Premier League titles, instead featuring for a Southampton side whose sole aim this season is to avoid relegation.
Arsenal are in third place, one point behind league leaders Liverpool, but Southampton have not won any of their opening six top-flight games, losing five times and drawing against Ipswich Town, leaving them in the relegation zone.
But at least Ramsdale is playing regularly at Southampton. His last game for Mikel Arteta’s side was a 2-1 win over Brentford on March 9, filling in for David Raya, who, as a loanee, was ineligible to play against his parent club.
That was Ramsdale’s final appearance for Arsenal. He had lost his place in the starting XI to Raya in the autumn of 2023 and entered the summer transfer window unsure of his future.
He has spoken this week about the challenge of being replaced and the pressure it put on him. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “It used to do my head in coming off the pitch and then my wife would say, ‘Oh, you were on the TV five times again today’. Why someone would then pan to me after someone makes a save, or a goal goes in and it pans to me on the bench… the story was bigger than it needed to be. I think it put pressure on David at times, as well.”
The 26-year-old eventually joined Southampton on August 30 in a deal worth an initial £18million ($23.7m). Arsenal will receive a further £1m if Russell Martin’s side avoid relegation, with the remaining £6m based on incentives.
Ramsdale before a game for Arsenal (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
And on Sunday, Ramsdale will be back at the Emirates Stadium, hoping to inflict a blow to his former club’s title aspirations and boost his new team’s odds of remaining in the Premier League. The Athletic has spoken to sources close to the player, kept anonymous to protect relationships, about his exit from Arsenal and his move to Southampton.
Ramsdale was immediately installed as Southampton’s first-choice goalkeeper and has played in their past four Premier League matches, which is only two fewer than he managed for Arsenal across the 2023-24 campaign.
It has not been plain sailing on the south coast, though, nor did the England international expect it to be.
Following the club’s most recent defeat, a 3-1 loss at Bournemouth on Monday, Martin questioned his side’s character, telling Sky Sports: “I couldn’t identify my team in the first half in terms of attitude and spirit and fight.”
For Ramsdale, Southampton’s trip to Arsenal, where they will be expected to lose again, holds mixed emotions.
The goalkeeper’s family will be at the game and he will line up against his former team-mates, many of whom he considers friends. He will also bump into Arsenal staff members with whom he shared a close bond.
Ramsdale was a popular figure in north London and built relationships with everyone from the players to the club’s security guards.
“He’s a player we loved a lot, very charismatic and he really put his fingerprints here at the club in the way that he was,” Arteta said in Friday’s pre-match press conference. “It will be very good to see him.
“I am grateful for what he did. When we signed him there was a lot of noise around him. We helped create the environment he needed because we believed in his potential. He showed it and won the respect and admiration of all of us.
“And then the circumstances changed because this is elite sport and that can happen. Then it was difficult to deal with that situation in a natural way and we decided to part ways. Hopefully, he is grateful as well.”
Leaving a club of Arsenal’s size was always going to be a risk, especially to join a promoted team with a manager yet to lead a Premier League side, but he did not want to sit on the bench for another season.
There was plenty of interest in Ramsdale from established Premier League teams. Wolverhampton Wanderers were interested but Martin won him over during negotiations. Ramsdale had already established a relationship with the players, having attended their promotion party dressed as Hagrid from Harry Potter.
He was there as a plus-one of midfielder David Brooks, who joined Southampton on loan from Bournemouth in January, and Ramsdale was introduced to Martin during the celebrations.
“I don’t remember too much of the party,” Ramsdale said in an interview with Saints, Southampton’s matchday programme, in September. “I do remember going up to him (Russell Martin) with ‘Brooksy’ and I think Broosky said, ‘Double deal?’.”
Before agreeing to head south, Ramsdale considered whether it was the right move.
Aaron Ramsdale has yet to be on the winning side since joining Southampton (Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images)
After all, the likelihood was Southampton would be in a relegation battle — something Ramsdale experienced in the 2019-20 (Bournemouth) and 2020-21 (Sheffield United) seasons — but he arrived ready for the challenge.
Scrapping for points at the bottom of the table is not something he shies away from and he quickly established himself as a big character at Southampton and inside the dressing room. His admiration for Martin has only increased since joining and, despite the results, he has loved playing for — and being at — the club.
Martin played a key role in persuading Ramsdale to sign for Southampton, regularly contacting him and showing him the kind of love and belief in him and his ability that had been lost along the way at Arsenal.
“When Brooksy signed in January he always spoke so highly of him, so I heard snippets from him for four, five months,” Ramsdale said of Martin during his interview with Saints. “I already knew about the gaffer through MK Dons and how they played, but also other players who worked with him at Swansea.
“He’s a special manager and a great guy with the confidence he gives you, the enthusiasm he has for the team and the players. It just gives you belief.”
Although Southampton have conceded 12 goals and only scored three — the lowest output in the division — in their opening six Premier League matches, Ramsdale believes there is potential within the squad to perform a lot better.
Ramsdale needed to maintain a positive outlook last season, too, after being ruthlessly dropped by Arteta. Spending prolonged periods on the bench was a struggle and he is thrilled to be a regular starter again.
There are only 20 starting goalkeeping positions in the Premier League and by moving to Southampton, Ramsdale has made sure he has one of them — and it would be no surprise if he was this weekend’s busiest as he returns to the Emirates. He would much rather that than still be consigned to a role on the bench, something he is unlikely to experience during his time on the south coast.
His start at Southampton – the goalkeeper’s view
Analysis by The Athletic’s goalkeeping expert, Matt Pyzdrowski
The reality at Arsenal was clear: with Raya in the squad, regular playing time was unlikely for Ramsdale. Injuries could have opened a door, but waiting for such an opportunity is a huge gamble for a goalkeeper — especially one with Ramsdale’s ambitions. To continue his growth, secure his spot as one of England’s three goalkeepers, and avoid stagnation, he knew a move was essential.
It is tough for a goalkeeper to go long stretches without action and then be called upon to make a crucial save — a rare skill not all keepers possess. Ramsdale was occasionally criticised at Arsenal for struggling to deliver in key moments.
At Southampton, Ramsdale will likely face relentless pressure from the opposition, which brings its own challenges. However, he tends to excel in such situations, as demonstrated in Southampton’s recent 1-1 draw with Ipswich. He was often excellent in the face of adversity at Bournemouth and Sheffield United and won player-of-the-year awards at both clubs.
Against Ipswich, Ramsdale made five crucial saves, preventing what could have easily been a defeat. The only goal he conceded was a deflected shot from outside the box late in the game.
That said, Ramsdale’s transition has not been flawless. Adjusting to a new team, system and coach inevitably comes with shaky moments. After spending so much time on the sidelines, rust can be expected. Goalkeeping is all about rhythm, timing and confidence, qualities that only consistent game time can sharpen. The small details — such as communication with the defence and split-second decision-making — often suffer without regular match experience. In the Premier League, these nuances separate a solid No 1 and a backup.
Southampton need Ramsdale to step up and win crucial points. Fortunately, he brings valuable experience from previous scraps at the bottom of the table. Both campaigns ended in relegation, but Ramsdale is older and more seasoned. The hope is he can draw on those experiences to guide Southampton and help them avoid the drop.
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
