In an interesting contest between Arsenal and Aston Villa, Mikel Arteta hailed David Raya’s second half save to deny Ollie Watkins as the ‘magic moment of the game’.
With the score tied at 0-0, Villa‘s Amadou Onana struck a shot that deflected off the crossbar and rebounded to Ollie Watkins, who headed the ball towards goal from close range.
Raya, in a brilliant reflex move, stretched out his left hand to make a stunning save, preventing what seemed like a certain goal.
Reflecting on the save, Arteta acknowledged its significance in the post-match analysis. ‘They had the big chance that David (Raya) made an unbelievable save, and it was the magic moment of the game.
We conceded really little and it’s a big credit to the team as it is a difficult place to come, but when we needed him (Raya) he was there and made a terrific save,’ said Arteta.
After the match, David Raya gave insights into his thought process during the save. ‘Everyone is a hero because we work together. It’s not just me saving the ball.
It was a crucial moment in the game where it was 0-0 and they had chances and I was there to save Ollie’s header,’ Raya remarked.
He reflected on the sequence leading to the save, citing his training drills and how those repetitions paid off in this particular instance.
Despite the acclaim, Raya modestly downplayed it, stating, ‘I don’t think it’s my best save.’
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
