08 October 2023 , 19:41
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Mikel Arteta embraced David Raya after Arsenal beat Manchester City in a show of support for his under-fire keeper.
Raya had endured a nervy first half against the reigning champions, drawing criticism from Manchester United legend Gary Neville. But the Spaniard pushed through those struggles to keep a clean sheet as the Gunners claimed a statement win over their title rivals.
Gabriel Martinelli's strike was deflected off Nathan Ake's face for a late winner, but it was Raya who Arteta made a beeline for at the final whistle. The Gunners boss made his way over to Raya with a smile on his face before embracing the goalkeeper.
The duo then slapped each other on the back before Arteta appeared to whisper in the Spaniard's ears. And the Gunners boss was full of praise for his keeper, who has now replaced Aaron Ramsdale as number one.
"I think he was excellent," Arteta told Sky Sports. "He can misplace one or two passes and I demand he stops the ball when he needs to do to get clarity, to provoke the opponent. But the way he controlled the ball. How dominant he was and how high he played.
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"I think he was excellent. I love players with big courage and David certainly has big ones. It is not easy to get out. You need the right timing, the right movement, the right moments. I like the courage.
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Mikel Arteta embraced David Raya after Arsenal's win over Manchester City (Sky Sports)"You are going to have these [hard] moments against this team. You have to be direct and managed the emotions and make sure you don't get caught against this team."
Neville was less sure of Raya's performance though, particularly as the Spaniard gave the ball away consistently in the first half. The United icon insisted the Arsenal keeper was looking "jittery", as Arteta turned to the home crowd to demand more from the fans.
"He's just a bit jittery Raya. He's not seeing things as clearly as Arsenal fans would like. I can spot a keeper a mile off that's a nervous wreck and there's one right in front of you," Neville said in commentary on Sky Sports.
"The mistake in midweek he's carried into this game, he's not sharp enough and he's very lucky. I can spot a goalkeeper a mile off who is a nervous wreck, and David Raya is that at the moment.
"Do you know what amazes me? It’s obvious that David Raya is nervous and he is really struggling. His team-mates have got to get him up the pitch and he is still playing it short. They are going to get punished if they are not careful.
"What Ederson and Alisson have done for years for the top teams and being as composed as they can, while also overcoming mistakes. When you have a new keeper trying to establish themselves is when they make a mistake, they can sometimes carry that mistake into the next game and that’s what happened here with Raya here."