Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw against Atalanta in their Champions League opener.
The Gunners flew to Bergamo after a difficult yet successful win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta wanted another victory.
However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side played really well, and both sides ended up denying each other with some very impressive defending.
In the end, the two managers were content with the draw, and Gasperini admitted that he was blown away by what one Arsenal player did in Bergamo on Thursday night.
Gian Piero Gasperini delivers verdict on David Raya after his penalty save for Arsenal
Arsenal dealt with almost everything Atalanta did quite comfortably, but there was one moment in the game that could’ve really cost them.
Thomas Partey made a big error by fouling Ederson inside the box, and referee Clement Turpin awarded Gasperini’s side a penalty.
The VAR check took a few minutes, so Raya ran over to Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana for some last-minute advice.
We don’t know what Cana told him, but it worked.
Raya dived to his right to save Mateo Retegui’s penalty, but that was not all. The Spaniard jumped back up and pulled off a truly remarkable save to deny the Atalanta star on the rebound.
That double save is the reason why Arsenal did not lose the game on Thursday night. Even Gasperini was impressed with the Arsenal goalkeeper.
He said after the game, as per ESPN: “He’s a cat. The first save is good but the rebound is unbelievable. The goalkeeper has been crucial.”
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Controversial Mikel Arteta decision has been proven right
In September 2023, Arteta surprised everyone by dropping Aaron Ramsdale and replacing him with Raya in Arsenal’s starting lineup.
That led to a ton of criticism, with many pundits having a go at the Gunners boss for needlessly ruining the harmony within the squad.
Raya had a tricky start to life at the Emirates, but he grew from strength to strength in the following months and finished the season with the Golden Glove.
The Spain international has had a fabulous start to the 2024/25 season as well, and he has saved the Gunners on three different occasions already.
All the people who criticised Arteta’s decision last year should now hold their hands up and apologise to the Arsenal boss.
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