Aaron Ramsdale kept a promise by performing a distinctive celebration as Arsenal beat Manchester United on Sunday.
The Gunners goalkeeper was delighted after Bukayo Saka cut inside and bent a curling finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 to Arsenal in the 53rd minute. The goal was greeted by an almighty roar inside the Emirates Stadium, but Ramsdale still remembered what he had to do.
Earlier in the week, Ramsdale had been a guest on The Fellas Podcast with YouTubers Calfreezy and Chip. During the conversation, the 24-year-old asked the hosts to give him a celebration to perform in the United game.
“Give me something,” he said. “When we win this weekend, give me something to do." Calfreezy then challenged the keeper to perform a ‘curtains’ celebration in a nod to a 90s haircut Chip used to sport. The action of pulling his fringe to either side was then practised.
And Ramsdale did not disappoint when the moment came amid the chaos of the Emirates. The Sky Sports cameras captured Ramsdale with a big grin on his face performing the celebration.
Ramsdale could have been left with egg on his face, with United equalising just six minutes later – thanks in part to a mistake from the goalkeeper. He dropped a corner, allowing Lisandro Martinez to stoop and loop a header into the net for 2-2.
Luckily for Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah came up trumps, reacting fastest to a loose ball to flick in a 90th-minute winner. The result saw Arsenal re-establish their five-point lead over Manchester City with a game in hand at the top of the Premier League.
Ramsdale has become known for his outgoing personality and exuberant celebrations since joining from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021 and this was another example of his approach to the game.
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Needless to say, it went down well with Arsenal fans, who were delighted with his confidence in the build-up to the crunch match. Arsenal fan KSI, who is a YouTuber, boxer and musician, tweeted the clip and wrote: “‘When we win’ I love this mentality man."
Another supporter added: “‘When we win this weekend’ gotta rate his confidence.” Another wrote: “He was so confident.”
The win was a big statement for Arsenal, who came from behind after Marcus Rashford smashed in the opener from distance. They have now taken 50 points from 19 games – the club’s highest points total at the halfway stage of a season.
After the game Mikel Arteta was asked if the result helped his players believe that they can win a first Premier League title since 2004. “I hope they do. Not that they (believe they) are champions, but they are good enough to play against these teams and they have done it,” he said. “We talked about that in the last two or three days.
“We know our reality, we know still how much we have to improve, we know what’s taken us to the position we are today and we have to reinforce that every day.”
