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Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has responded to criticism of his performance against Manchester City earlier this month after Gary Neville claimed he was a "nervous wreck"
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has revealed the reason why he tends to dwell on the ball with his studs when the team is attempting to play out from the back.
The Spanish goalkeeper has drawn criticism from the fans and some pundits for “slowing the tempo down” with his traits, with other people like Gary Neville accusing him of being “ a nervous wreck” against Man City whenever he did that.
Raya, 28, joined the Gunners on loan from Brentford in the summer and has quickly dislodged Aaron Ramsdale as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. The Spain international has started all four Premier League games since leapfrogging Ramsdale, including the 1-0 win over City.
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14:45 - 15.10.2023
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But Raya's performance against the champions left some fans concerned. There were a number of occasions early on where Raya was almost caught on the ball, leading to criticism from Neville.
“He's just a bit jittery Raya," Neville said during commentary for Sky Sports during the first-half of the match at the Emirates. “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. The mistake in midweek he's carried into this game, he's not sharp enough and he's very lucky.”
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14:00 - 15.10.2023
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But Raya has insisted that the approach is all part of his and Mikel Arteta's plans after being questioned about the match while away on international duty. And he also stressed that he will take full responsibility if it does backfire in the coming months.
“It’s something I have internalised, but it’s also the coach’s orders,” Raya told The Athletic. “What he doesn’t want is for us to start hitting balls — we have to invite a player (opponent to press) to come out a little bit.
" I’m the free man, and once a striker or someone jumps me, that leaves a free man on the pitch, and we have to look for superiority. That’s the way the coach tells me to play.
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“The fans aren’t used to us goalkeepers having the ball for a long time and if they (the opponents) don’t press, you have to wait for the moment to pass the ball. It’s a risk that we take, but I take the responsibility that if, one day, there’s a mistake I’ll raise my hand. There’s no way around it.”
Although Raya's move is currently a temporary one, Arsenal have an option to make it permanent next summer and are expected to do so. And he revealed that the opportunity to work with Arteta was too good to turn down given how his compatriot has transformed the Gunners.
“I had a few conversations with Mikel before making the signing because it was complicated, the financial issue and so on. He was one of the coaches I wanted to work with, his philosophy, how he has transformed Arsenal with the way he has played and it was very important to have him as a coach.”
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13:52 - 13.10.2023
Revealed: Eden Hazard stopped from purchasing food from a burger truck near Stamford Bridge by Chelsea
According to reports, Chelsea ordered one burger van to stop selling to their star player while he was a player at the club.
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