Aaron Ramsdale was not at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but Arsenal fans in the away end still sang his name.
The chants could only be heard briefly in the second half, and Mikel Arteta did his best to brush them off after his side battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Chelsea. But they felt telling on another shaky afternoon for David Raya.
Arteta has unified Arsenal supporters during his time at the club, though there is a growing split among fans over who should be in goal.
Ramsdale missed the Chelsea game after his wife gave birth to their first son and Raya is expected to continue in goal away at Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Raya has established himself as Arteta’s first-choice keeper and the Arsenal manager seems unlikely to take him out of the team already. But there is a feeling among some fans that Ramsdale should be recalled sooner rather than later.
Raya has had some shaky moments and was lobbed by Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross on Saturday. It was a freak goal, although his positioning was suspect.
Mudryk also revealed that Chelsea goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez told him to look out for Raya being off his line, suggesting it was a weakness the Blues tried to exploit.
Brought in for his ability on the ball, Raya also almost gifted Chelsea a third goal when he passed the ball straight to Cole Palmer.
Arteta signed Raya in the summer because he wanted competition in the goalkeeper position, but the move has created an added level of scrutiny.
Every mistake is analysed because Ramsdale, who did little wrong before he dropped, is waiting in the wings.
Arteta is breaking new ground with his desire to have two top-class goalkeepers and the increased spotlight on his goalkeepers is of his own making.
Has it been worth the hassle? Did Arsenal really need to upgrade from Ramsdale with Raya?
Arteta and his coaching staff clearly think so.
The margins are so small when chasing Manchester City and, they will argue, that if there is an opportunity to improve the team then it should be taken.
But there are intangible qualities that Ramsdale offers, like his connection with the fans. He is also a vocal and popular figure in the dressing room.
Arteta has shown in the past that he is not afraid to make big calls - Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can vouch for that - and more often than not, he has got those big calls right.
The success of the Raya gamble, and how Arteta handles the goalkeeper situation this season, feels like it could be crucial for Arsenal in their title bid.
