David Raya has revealed that Arsenal have worked ‘a lot’ on penalties on the training ground this season.
WHAT HAPPENED?
And that practice appears to be paying off, with the Gunners edging out FC Porto on spot kicks to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. With the scores level at 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, penalties were required to separate the two sides. And Raya rose to the occasion, keeping out Wendell and Galeno’s efforts from 12 yards to send Arsenal through.
WHAT RAYA SAID
However, when speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Raya was not entirely satisfied. He revealed that he felt he could have kept out Marko Grujic’s penalty, which he got a hand to, as well.
“I should have saved three, but I’m over the moon to save two,” he said. “We played a really good game from the start. We dominated, created chances and it went down to penalties. We’ve worked a lot on penalties this year and all the hard work with the goalie coach and the team has paid off.”
He added: “This means everything. You play football for these kind of things and I’m lucky to be playing for Arsenal, to be in the Champions League and to get through to the quarter-finals. We’re just going to enjoy the night.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Raya’s match-winning performance is further vindication of Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign him in the summer and make the 28-year-old his No.1 goalkeeper at the expense of Aaron Ramsdale. Aside from his penalty heroics, Raya made three saves in normal time.
DID YOU KNOW?
Incredibly, Tuesday’s game was the first Champions League knockout tie to be settled by penalties since the 2016 final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
WHAT NEXT?
Arsenal now eagerly await their quarter-final opponents as they toast reaching the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years. Barcelona. Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid also remain in the competition, and they will be joined by two of Atletico Madrid, Inter, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund after Wednesday’s games.
