Matt Turner has arrived at Arsenal with loads of expectations, one to not only sit through cheering for Aaron Ramsdale but pushing Rams in a way that makes him give a hundred-and-twenty percent every time he dons that Gunners’ badge. Well, Matt doesn’t have big boots to fill if we consider what Alex Rúnarsson brought, or didn’t bring, on the bench. But Turner has to provide elite backup, one that Bernd Leno did last season and Martinez did to Leno beforehand.
Turner has enjoyed a decent start to his life wearing Arsenal colors. He did keep a clean sheet in Arsenal’s pre-season fixture against Everton on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.
“Really happy with him and the way he’s settled in. He’s an extraordinary character, a lot of personality and he’s great at what we want. Obviously it was a big moment for him to come with an Arsenal shirt, in the States, in front of the crowd and he did really well,” Mikel Arteta when asked about Turner in his post-match press conference.
Matt will now have to adapt to being able to play out from the back and help build offence from the last line of defence – something Mikel wants his keepers to do, something that displaced Bernd Leno. Turner already has able shot-stopping credentials having conceded 8.6 fewer goals than expected in the MLS, and he does admit to having to adapt and work his way into Mikel’s system.
“Playing out from the back has been very different but I feel I’ve adapted quite well. When I’m on the pitch everyone wants the ball and that makes it a bit easier for me. I can identify a pass and make it happen. The biggest change is the start positions are a lot higher. They want me closer to the centre backs to keep the ball circulating faster. It’s a little more running, which is a good thing to keep me in shape,” Matt speaking to football.london.
Inaki Cana, Arsenal’s Goalkeeping coach, has been in touch with Matt Turner while he was still playing for New England Revolution to make sure Matt is up to speed with Mikel’s demands. The process of adaption continues with Arsenal’s pre-season tour that helps Turner get more minutes under his belt. He will have Europa League and League Cup games to prove his credentials and will be keen to stake his claim about going shoulder-to-shoulder with Ramsdale and going into the World Cup as USNMT’s starting goalie come November.
