Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stressed the importance of David Raya’s performance after the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Arsenal were nowhere near as good as they were against Tottenham when they faced Chelsea, but it was still back-to-back London derby wins for Arteta’s side.
The Gunners are now five points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to the victory, a win that was earned thanks to set-piece strength and Raya’s shot-stopping ability.
Raya was one of Arsenal’s best performers against Chelsea, and after the game, his manager was eager to direct praise in the goalkeeper’s direction.
Mikel Arteta emphasised how good David Raya was against Chelsea
Raya made four saves against Chelsea, and even that doesn’t paint the picture of how good the Spaniard was.
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The numbers may not have, but Arteta’s post-match comments certainly did.
“Chelsea did some very, very good things in that period, and we needed David [Raya] to win us the game,” the Arsenal manager said in his post-match press conference.
When Chelsea applied pressure in the latter stages, Raya was on hand to steer the Gunners away from danger, earning deserved praise from his boss.
Mikel Arteta’s comments on David Raya show the difference between him and Aaron Ramsdale
Arteta will be as delighted as most to see Raya at his very best when Arsenal need him most, given the tough call the manager had to make to axe Aaron Ramsdale in 2023.
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Ramsdale was Arsenal’s popular number one, but Arteta realised that an upgrade was needed, identifying Raya as the man to offer that.
After the Chelsea win, Arteta unintentionally referenced one area where Raya is an upgrade on Ramsdale.
“He is a keeper that knows how to maintain his focus and decide a football match when you need him,” Arteta said.
The comment is the stark opposite of Ramsdale’s assessment of his own concentration difficulties.
“If you ask me to concentrate on a game of football for 90 minutes? I’m finished. I can’t do it,” Ramsdale infamously said on a Premier League YouTube video in 2023.
The difference between the two goalkeepers in that department is why Arsenal look even more secure since Raya arrived, with the Spaniard thriving as the Gunners’ first-choice.
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