Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made the headlines late last month for the outstanding save he pulled off in their Premier League win at Aston Villa in August.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The Gunners took on Unai Emery’s charges in their second match of the season and, for a while, it was touch-and-go regarding the visitors’ chances.
Arsenal came close to conceding first just before the hour mark, only for Raya to pull off an incredible stop from Ollie Watkins.
Amadou Onana was teed up for a shot, which came off Gabriel and looped up in the air before hitting the bar.
Raya had committed to the first shot, leaving him on the ground as Watkins went for a diving header, but the Gunners stopper leapt up to thwart the England man’s effort.
The Spaniard’s save prompted plaudits from fans, neutrals and pundits alike.
For instance, Alan Shearer deemed it “unbelievable”, while Gary Lineker called it “absolutely world-class”.
Raya, currently on international duty with Spain, was asked about the “save of the year” at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Nations League meeting with Serbia.
“Well, the truth is that it’s a stop that is very repetitive in all the years I’ve been a footballer in training,” he replied, as per Diario AS’ YouTube video.
“When we train, we do many actions such as throwing yourself, getting up and going to another ball.
“But the context is different. The context is in a match, and you try to replicate it there.
“And the truth is that I’m super happy to have been able to do that stop since at the time of the match we were 0-0.
“And if they had scored, it would have been very complicated, especially against Aston Villa away from home.
“So, I’m super proud and super happy to be able to help the team in those actions.”
Football.london gave Raya a 9 out of 10 rating for his efforts against the claret-and-blue outfit.
“A world-class stop to keep out Watkins’ header,” they wrote. “Miraculous reflexes from such close range.
“Superb aside from that with his positioning and distribution. Arsenal have a world class ‘keeper between the sticks!”
Likewise, the Evening Standard went with a score of 9 out of 10 for the Spaniard.
“Made a stunning save early in the second-half when Ollie Watkins looked certain to score,” they wrote.
“Was excellent all game and commanded his area well.”
Finally, Goal.com went with an 8 out of 10 rating for Raya’s performance.
“Sensational save denied Watkins from close-range early in the second half,” they wrote.
“Commanded his penalty area excellently as he dealt with a number of crosses….CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLE>>>
