Mikel Arteta’s side sent shockwaves through the Premier League with a statement 5-1 win over the Citizens.
It was five of the best from Arsenal as they closed the gap on the league leaders Liverpool to six points.
Several Arsenal players impressed against Man City, with midfield maestro Declan Rice receiving the MOTM award following his two assists.
Lewis Myles-Skelly also earned praise for his display after netting the third of the evening.
There was however one Arsenal performance in particular that arguably went under the radar – namely that of David Raya.
David Raya was key factor in Arsenal’s win over Man City
Rice and Lewis-Skelly will no doubt earn the majority of praise, but Raya’s performance against the champions simply cannot go unnoticed.
The Spaniard made a number of key saves, particularly in the first half, preventing the likes of Savinho and Josko Gvardiol.
Former Premier League goalkeeper Joe Hart honed in on Raya’s first-half display, saying:
“This is excellent. It is so hard to do. It is so sharp and so strong. Raya has been excellent this half. He’s not had a lot to do but he’s had three or four huge moments,” (via Premier League).
Raya’s impressive stats vs Man City
Heading the game, Raya was initially a doubt for the Man City clash so Arsenal fans will no doubt be counting their blessings following the 29-year-old’s display in between the sticks.
With the Gunners averaging just 46% possession, Raya’s ball-playing skills were parked for ninety minutes as the Spaniard’s sole task was to keep the ball out of the net.
Despite conceding to an Erling Haaland header, the former Brentford keeper was a brick wall in goal for the Gunners, overperforming his xG on the night.
| David Raya stats vs Man City | |
| Match rating | 7.1 |
| Saves | 3 |
| xGOT faced | 1.17 |
| Goals prevented | 0.17 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
After failing to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive matches, Raya has since kept two in his last three fixtures showing he could be back to his best.
His performance against Man City would definitely suggest so.
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