7 games since we last shut out the opponents. Some pretty poor goals conceded in that time as well.
We had 13 in 28 before then, and Ramsdale was in the race for the Golden Gloves award, just behind Alisson and Ederson.
There are a few factors that may have had an impact. The last clean sheet was actually kept by Bernd Leno (away to Villa), after Aaron Ramsdale missed the game, and England duty, with a hip injury. Ramsdale hasn't looked as good since, and his kicking has been dodgy - putting us in danger a few times. Could the hip still be playing up?
The back 4 was already missing Tomiyasu, but Scotlands friendlies robbed us of the services of Kieran Tierney for the rest of the season. While Tierney was arguably not at his best, since then we have gone through Nuno Tavares, Xhaka and, most recently, Tomiyasu at left back. None of these have been ideal.
Further to this, Thomas Partey came back from Ghanaian duty looking off the pace and then picked up injury in that first game (3-0 vs Palace). After trying Sambi (and making things worse by putting Xhaka at LB), Elneny has come in and done a job. But it isn't quite the levels Partey was giving us.
Ben White has missed a couple of games, although Rob Holding has come in and done well. Cedric has done a job over the period.
With Kane and Son on the horizon, an improvement is definitely needed, and silly errors need to be cut out. White should be available, so it will be interesting to see how Arteta plays it.
No clean sheet since international break...
posted on 9/5/22
Tomiyasu is a much better option on the left to Tavares. If we had Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel and Tierney at the back I would be confident of stopping Spurs.
Expecting a narrow defeat to be honest.
posted on 9/5/22
We are due a few then to finish off the season
As you've said there has been a lot of chopping and changing from what was a fairly settled back 5 with Partey sitting in front. Since the 0-0 against Burnley when Tomi was injured prior in the cup semi against Liverpool, we have kept 4 clean sheets in 15 league games. Obviously all of them came from when Cedric switching in for Tomi was our only change.
Part of me wonders whether we might line up or at least start with a back 3 against Spurs and match up to them like we did against Chelsea with Gabriel White and Tomiyasu or Holding for White if he's still not fit which considering he didn't make the bench suggests he might not be and that we will hopefully have him for the last 2 games.