Mikel Arteta reacts to Kai Havertz winner, Arsenal effort, Aaron Ramsdale clean sheet

Are Mikel Arteta's post-match comments his loudest yet about a clear preference for David Raya as his starting goalkeeper?

Yes, continually playing the Brentford loanee until this match against Brentford said a lot, but Ramsdale did keep a clean sheet after coming out of the cold to deputize between the sticks at Brentford Community Stadium. That clean sheet and Kai Havertz's goal propelled the Gunners atop the Premier League table.

[ MORE: Brentford 0-1 Arsenal recap, video highlights ]

And while Arteta heaped praise on super sub Kai Havertz for his match-winner and had plenty of love for his full team's resilience — of which Ramsdale is included — he turned away from embracing Ramsdale despite two pretty clear positive questions from the post-match interviewer on USA Network today.

First, here's what he said about the team effort.

"So happy, the way we competed, the way we played. We kept going and going and going. I think we deserved to win the game. Big compliment to the players because this is a really tough place to come.

Mikel Arteta on Aaron Ramsdale’s performance in win

Asked about Ramsdale nervy first half and the team surrounding Ramsdale to salute the keeper after a late recovery, Arteta stopped short of loving up the England keeper, Arteta proffered this.

"I'm so happy with the performance of the team," Arteta said. "We kept a clean sheet and we looked so at it."

Arteta was then asked, as a follow-up, whether Ramsdale's early struggles could be attributing to an over-eagerness to impress the boss.

"Every player wants to improve," Arteta then said. "It's no different in any other position or any other players. It's for the team, not the manager. Nobody has to impress me, it's the team who has to be better."

Arsenal has Estonia starter Karl Hein, 21, in the fold, but the Gunners also sold Matt Turner in the summer, and Arteta has publicly discussed his desire for Ramsdale to stay patient. Ramsdale, for his part, has been urged to play regularly by England boss Gareth Southgate, and the player's father has publicly discussed the player's discontent. Will Ramsdale be a Gunner after the January window?

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Havertz has struggled to star for Arsenal since coming over from Chelsea, where it's fair to say the German did not reach the heights expected of him following a massive move from Bayer Leverkusen.

But Arteta is buzzing for his summer buy following a second goal of the Premier League season.

"I don't think there. is anybody in that room who is unhappy for him," Arteta said. "He fully deserves it, the way he trains every day. He's a tremendous football player. Today we believed there were spaces to attack and he was in the right place and he won the game for us.