Amid the commotion following Arsenal’s thrilling Champions League victory against Porto at Emirates Stadium, David Raya put an end to any unresolved disputes regarding manager Mikel Arteta’s decision-making and his position as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper.
With Raya starting uncertainly in place of Aaron Ramsdale, there have been suspicions that Arteta tried to fix something that wasn’t broken by bringing in the Brentford-born Spanish to take the place of the England-capable favorite of Arsenal supporters.
And in the interest of full disclosure, before the reprimands and heaping helpings of humble pie are directed this way, one of the biggest skeptics is standing right here, and he or she has to own up to being proven wrong after seeing Ramsey have his best game since joining Arsenal.
With two penalty shootout saves from Wendell and Galeno, Raya delivered when it mattered most, providing additional evidence of his consistent development and dependability. Arsenal advanced to a Champions League quarterfinal for the first time in fourteen years with a 4-2 victory in the shootout following a 1-0 victory that evening.
After failing at this level of the competition in their previous seven attempts, Arsenal overcame a psychological hurdle to advance to the final eight on a tense, anxious, and ill-tempered night that will serve as an excellent crash course in the Champions League.
Prior to his involvement in the shootout, Raya was crucial in keeping the tie poised precariously, making excellent saves against Evanilson and Francisco Conceicao as Porto broke free of their defensive shell.
Unlike some others, no names of course, Arteta says he never doubted Raya but the magnitude of a decision which brought such understandable scrutiny was clear.
Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Arteta, demonstrated composure and composure in the first days of the match against Porto. Raya made crucial saves in penalties, turning Wendell’s second penalty for Porto on to the post and confirming the win with a flying save from Galeno. The game was marked by wild scenes and a heated debate between Arteta and Porto’s Sergio Conceicao. Conceicao claimed Arteta “insulted his family” in Spanish during the game, which was denied by the Arsenal manager.
Leandro Trossard’s strike put Arsenal level in the tie, but Porto’s streetwise, battle-hardened side were going nowhere. Odegaard’s strike was ruled out in the second half after French referee Clement Turpin adjudged that Kai Havertz had fouled Pepe. Pepe received a yellow card for a foul on Havertz in the second half, but he greeted the decision with a knowing smile.
The match was crucial to Arsenal’s Champions League education, as they now move alongside illustrious names such as holders Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona in the latter stages. Although Arsenal may not have shown enough fluency in their advance to the Premier League summit, they will carry momentum and optimism forward into the Champions League quarter-final and their next game, the colossal Premier League encounter with Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on 31 March.
(BBC)
