Arteta feels Raya’s saves are the best he’s seen

Mikel Arteta admitted that David Raya’s double stop during our 0-0 draw with Atalanta could be the best saves he has ever seen.

Our Spanish shot-stopper produced lightning-like reflexes to keep out Mateo Retegui’s attempt from 12 yards, but then the striker seemed destined to simply nod the ball over the line.

But in eerily similar circumstances to his denial of Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa that earned him the Premier League Save of the Month award, David managed to scoop the ball off the line and keep his sheet clean for the fourth time in five appearances, and even his manager was stunned that he managed to save this latest addition to his collection of excellent stops.

Reflecting post-match, Mikel said: “We started the game really well. I think in the first 20-25 minutes we were really dominant against a man-to-man team which is very very specific and difficult to play against. I think we read the game really well and were on top of the game.

“Suddenly we started to be very very inconsistent with the ball. We started to give every ball away, very simple balls, and we lost control of the game. We didn’t suffer defensively at all, but in one action we conceded a penalty and we needed two of the best saves that I’ve seen in my career from David to stay in the game.

“The work with the goalkeeping coach, Inaki, he knew [which way to go] and they did the job and the execution of that first one was unbelievable. But the second one, I thought the ball was in so it was really similar to the Villa one. 

“We signed him when he was already exceptional, but then you have to do it at this level and especially in the context of when he came in, it wasn’t easy at all, but he’s showing the kind of person he is and his role as a leader in the team. That’s very important.”

A first game of the new league phase at the home of the reigning Europa League holders celebrating the opening of their new-look stadium was always going to be a tough challenge to take victory from, and while Mikel was left frustrated with some aspects of our display, others pleased him enough to feel that this was a point earned.

The momentum continues to build ahead of Manchester City on Sunday, and now the boss wants his players to rest up and get ready for that showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

“If you cannot win it, don’t lose it, that’s for certain,” Mikel mused on tonight’s point. “To win in Europe away from home is extremely difficult against this opponent, very difficult, but as well, if we look in the mirror, we did a lot of things good without the ball, but with the ball we need to be much more consistent if we want to really dominate teams in Europe. 

“Now we just recover, go to the next page, take the positives, try to improve a lot of the things that we have to do better against City, and tomorrow after resting and eating well, we’ll do it again.”