Aaron Ramsdale was emotional on his return to Arsenal(Image: PA)

Aaron Ramsdale in tears in reaction to what Arsenal fans did for him at Emirates Stadium

Aaron Ramsdale returned to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since leaving Arsenal to join Southampton in the summer transfer window, and the goalkeeper was visibly emotional

05 Oct 2024, 18:56 by Josh Holland, Felix Keith · football.london

Aaron Ramsdale was visibly moved by the warm welcome he received from Arsenal supporters on his return to the Emirates Stadium with Southampton.

Ramsdale, who transferred to the south coast club for £25 million from the Gunners at the end of the summer window, was met with an emotional reception from the home fans as he prepared for kick-off.

The early-arriving Gunners fans gave him a rousing ovation, leading to an emotional reaction from the former Arsenal man. Chants of his name echoed around the stadium during the closing minutes of the match, and many stayed behind to applaud him after Arsenal's 3-1 victory.

Ramsdale, who made 89 appearances for Arsenal, left in search of regular first-team action after being replaced by David Raya in Mikel Arteta's starting XI. He expressed his desire for regular playtime over sitting on the bench, even if it meant joining a team battling in the league.

"If I was sitting on the bench, it [winning a trophy] wouldn't have meant that much to me," Ramsdale shared with Football Focus before the game. "I just wanted to play football. As a kid I wanted to play football to play, not to just sit on a bench. Getting out and playing was my aim so I'm lucky I found myself here at Southampton."

The Saints' goalkeeper had a solid first half against his former team, successfully blocking a low shot from Thomas Partey at the edge of the box and quickly getting back on his feet to prevent the rebound from going in. Despite Arsenal's dominance in possession and numerous threatening set pieces, they were unable to break the deadlock in the first half, leaving the score at 0-0 at half-time, reports the Mirror.

However, Bukayo Saka turned things around in the second half, setting up goals for Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli before scoring one himself. Ramsdale parted ways with Arsenal on amicable terms, with Arteta giving him his blessing to leave.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Ramsdale said: "What he did for me in my time at Arsenal, I can only thank him for, and he thanked me for my contribution [when leaving]," He added: "Not just myself but as a football club, getting back into the Champions League, pushing for a trophy. Ultimately, as managers do and top managers do, they have to make decisions which will upset people. He made that decision and we still speak."

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