David Raya admits there is one thing he ‘should have’ done in Arsenal penalty triumph v Porto

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Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has now revealed that there was one thing he feels he failed to do during his penalty shootout performance against Porto.

David Raya saved two spot-kicks to send Arsenal to their first Champions League quarter-final since 2014.

The Spanish goalkeeper was mobbed by his teammates, as the Emirates Stadium crowd were sent into raptures, after he successfully kept out Galeno’s final penalty for the visitors. Aaron Ramsdale was amongst those to celebrate with Raya, despite having lost his starting berth to the Brentford loanee earlier on in the season.

The 28-year-old was not especially busy throughout the 120 minutes of the match, but was able to maintain his focus. He claimed a couple of crosses smartly, and impressed with his distribution.

The pressure was on the shot-stopper in this match. Many Arsenal fans felt that Raya was to blame for the late goal that earned Porto a win in the first-leg. Fortunately, when it came to the penalty shootout, he was able to really shine and get Mikel Arteta’s team over the line.

In the shootout, Raya was able to save the efforts from both Wendell and Galeno, as Arsenal won 4-2 on penalties. He also got a hand to Marko Grujic’s shot, but the ball still crept in.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, despite clearly being delighted with his own efforts, Raya admitted that he “should have saved three” of Porto’s penalties, referring to Grujic’s strike.

David Raya expects the best of himself for Arsenal

This attitude reveals plenty about Raya’s character and mentality. Clearly, he demands high standards of himself, and even in his moment in the spotlight, there is still a focus upon improving. Arteta will likely be delighted that his goalkeeper recognised this room for improvement.

Attention will now turn to Friday’s quarter-final draw. The Gunners already know that they will join the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich in the hat. Meanwhile, two sides out of Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan will round out the last eight. Arsenal will fancy their chances against any of these clubs, especially on the basis of their recent form.

Raya will continue to have a huge role to play for Arsenal for the remainder of the season, as the Gunners will seek to go all the way to glory in both the Champions League and the Premier League.