12 months ago Tribalfootball sat down with Ray Parlour to look ahead to Arsenal’s upcoming season and one topic was David Raya in goal. Few people could spot why Arsenal made the change from Aaron Ramsdale, but the Spaniard ended up winning the Golden Glove and has pulled off some amazing saves in the first two rounds of this season, obviously pleasing for an Arsenal-boy like Parlour.
“Goalkeepers are so important. If you're challenging for the title and to win trophies, you've got to have a top-class goalkeeper. Raya's certainly got better. He looks like he's got more experience with an Arsenal shirt on. He's got a lot more confidence and the belief is there. I think Mikel Arteta has done really well to get Raya up and playing like he has,” Ray Parlour tells Tribalfootball in a brand new interview.
What have you made of the Mikel Merino signing, will he make a difference?
“Arsenal certainly needed a player in that midfield area. Last season, Partey was injured for a while. He's getting that a little bit older, his body's feeling it a little bit more. So, you needed that little bit of a back-up in midfield. I think he was very good in the Euros; he's got the experience.
“I'm sure Newcastle fans will say that he didn't really hit the ground running at Newcastle. But he's a big figure, 6ft2, so, he's got good presence. Look at the players they've got, especially in that midfield area; back in the day, Arsenal went towards smaller players, like Barcelona had.
“But in my era, we always had big players in the areas, Gilberto Silva, Vieira, everyone was more or less 6ft2. I think they're going back to that way with Declan Rice, Partey and obviously Merino now. They've got some good sizes and set plays will be vital as well.”
You mentioned Partey, there's always a bit of debate around him. Where do you stand?
“I certainly think he's a very good player. He's got good awareness. Keeps it simple. For me, he's a very efficient player, he keeps it moving. In the last few years, he's had a lot of injuries. But when he's played, he certainly is a top-class player. He always wants the ball and he gives Declan Rice that little bit more chance to go forward.
“Declan was more or less the holding midfielder when Partey was out, but I like to see Declan get forward and Partey probably gives him a license to do that a little bit more. So, I do like him. But when you're playing in the top side, you need top players. And that's why the competition for places is going to be really fierce for Arsenal. You can't afford to have two bad games.”
There's still no new striker in, Gabriel Jesus is injured again and Nketiah is leaving. Is this a concern for you?
“It is a bit of a concern. You look at the top sides, they've all got very, very good strikers. At Man City, Haaland is going to bang goals in for fun. But I think Mikel Arteta has really looked around and said, who's going to fit into the right mold that we want?
“And you can't just go out and buy a striker for the sake of it. You've got to have that character. You've got a lot of things that can go wrong if get the wrong character into the dressing room. I'm sure Mikel Arteta and Edu have really scouted. There's a couple that have come into mind, Ivan Toney the obvious one.
"But there's not loads of top-class strikers out there and maybe Mikel just says, look, this is what we've got. We can play Trossard up there as well, we can play a false number nine. And we've just got to wait for the right striker to come along. But whether that's going to bite him at the end of the season, we'll have to wait and see.”
Do you think Arsenal look stronger now at this point than at the same time last season?
“Yeah. For a start, they've got the defence. Timber's back. He can be a big player. Calafiori has come in, he's another player that could play on that left-hand side. Arteta’s got options, if Saliba or Gabriel get injured. And then you're strengthening all the time. You've got Partey fit now. He wasn't last season.
"And you've got Merino coming in now. Arsenal haven't lost too many players and it was players who weren't going to play anyway. So, I think they're very strong. The one question mark will always be that striker.”
Ray Parlour was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of NetBet Sports Betting