Eventually, Aaron Ramsdale was able to smile in relief.
But Ramsdale hadn't laughed for most of the previous hour.
During that period, it looked as though his mistakes would prove costly as he hesitated on a backpass and saw Brentford equalize when the final clearance was forced in by Yoan Wissa. Ta.
The 25-year-old looked distraught heading into half-time and the contrasting nature of his emotions at the end of each half summed up a rollercoaster night for the England keeper.
A high start, rare in the Premier League, was followed by a slump for his mistake just before half-time.
However, he bounced back after the break and proved his worth to the team, stopping Arsenal from falling 2-1 behind with two saves from Ivan Toney and Nathan Collins.
Those stops proved crucial as the home side grabbed a second-half winner through Kai Havertz, with Ramsdale arguably the biggest reliever at the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta said: “I'm really happy for him, especially because he's a very determined person with great character and courage and he did what he did.”
“Errors are part of football. How to react to them is probably the most difficult position, especially for a keeper.”
“He did it in an amazing way.
“I'm not surprised because the whole team and the whole stadium was rooting for him.
“He's earned that respect and admiration. We really wanted to win for him.”
How Ramsdale's dressing room came together
Had Havertz not rescued Arsenal, Ramsdale's mistake might have prevented Arsenal from winning the game in front of title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. meet at anfield on sunday (15:45 GMT).
In the long run, it may have even more negative effects.
The race between Arsenal, Liverpool and City is extremely close, especially in home games against struggling teams, and every time one of the three challengers drops a point, it means they are in the Premier League. feels like it could decide where the trophy goes.
Havertz said his team rallied against Ramsdale in the locker room at half-time after securing victory with his own goal, and that his quick recovery from the incident helped them bounce back.
“During the season, everyone in the team made mistakes. Sometimes when you're a goalkeeper, it looks even worse. We're all in this together,” said the German forward.
“We talked about it in the dressing room at half-time and we changed direction.
“It was tough for us. I think we responded very well. We conceded an unfortunate goal, but we believed and played through it.”
Does Ramsdale's mistake justify Arteta's decision?
Arteta surprised many last summer when he decided Arsenal needed another goalkeeper.
Ramsdale was the regular number one in Arsenal's vigorous title challenge last season, keeping 14 clean sheets and conceding 44 goals in 38 games, the second-fewest in the top flight. It's a number.
However, Arteta believed his side could be improved by Spain international goalkeeper David Raya, who arrived on season-long loan from Brentford.
Ramsdale started the league match, but was quickly replaced by Raya. Raya seems to be bought for her better delivery skills.
On Saturday, Ramsdale returned to the Premier League for the first time since November's upset against Brentford, but his sloppy mistake only served to underline Arteta's commitment to making Raya his first choice.
Former Arsenal and England winger Karen Carney, who covers the match as an analyst for Sky Sports, believes Wissa had the courage to shut down Ramsdale sooner than he would have if former teammate Raya had played. ing.
“Wissa trained with Raya every day last year. I don't know if he applied the same pressure as he did at Ramsdale,” Carney said.
“We've seen all the statistics that Ramsdale is a great shot-stopping goalkeeper, but the reason he's not in the Arsenal team is because of his play from the back.”
Clearly Arteta is aware of Ramsdale's limitations in this key area, which is integral to the way the team plays, which is why Raya returns as first choice when Arsenal face Manchester City in their next Premier League game. This is the reason.
Ramsdale's race may be on, but despite his mistakes, the Gunners are still in the most important race to be crowned Premier League champions.
