Arsenal fans were able to see Matt Turner consistently play in an Arsenal shirt during the Gunners’ Europa League campaign. The goalkeeper made a £7.5million move to north London in the summer to replace the departing Bernd Leno.
The 28-year-old was bought in to be a solid backup option for Aaron Ramsdale. But, the American had come under criticism in the September international break before the World Cup which provided as a transfer warning for Mikel Arteta.
However, his performances in the World Cup over the last two weeks justified Arteta’s decision to sign the goalkeeper in the summer. Turner was pivotal for the United States as they progressed through the group stages, but were unluckily knocked out by the Netherlands in the first round of the knockout stages.
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Prior to the World Cup, Turner had been on international duty with the United States squad at the back end of September. It is here where he received worrying critics after his last performance.
The goalkeeper started for the United States in their goalless draw against Saudi Arabia. Despite keeping a clean sheet, he still came under fire by the media.
NBC gave him a score of 6.5/10, but they warned that his distribution may not be good enough to earn him the number one spot for the World Cup.
"A good if not great shot stopper, his footwork might be what costs him a starting spot to Zach Steffen," they wrote.
Meanwhile, MLS Soccer only handed him a 4.5/10 rating. And they also picked up on his struggles with his feet.
"The former New England Revolution goalkeeper turned over possession really sloppily early in the second half, but otherwise was solid. He wasn’t called into action often, but was reliable when he needed to be," was their reaction.
This was concerning news for Arsenal, as Ramsdale is so pivotal to Arteta’s side due to the strength of his distribution. With Turner previously struggling in this department, it had cast initial doubt on his ability to replicate what Ramsdale offered if the Englishman is not available for selection.
However, Turner’s performances in the World Cup proved that he is more than capable to be a useful backup to Ramsdale. This was epitomised by his display against England where he picked up clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.
Turner can return to north London with his head held high despite his early World Cup exit. The American silenced the doubters and showed why he earned the move to Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
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