‘Second chance for Ramsdale…?’ David Raya reveals what Mikel Arteta said to him after huge Arsenal error in North London Derby
David Raya has revealed what Mikel Arteta said to him at full time after Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.
The Gunners had been cruising after taking a 3-0 lead in the first half courtesy of an own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and strikes from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. Just after the hour mark, though, Raya inexplicably presented the ball to Cristian Romero to offer Spurs a route back in to the game.
That set up a nervy finish to the game, particularly after Son Heung-min’s late penalty. Arsenal though were able to hold on for a crucial three points that keeps the pressure on Manchester City for the Premier League run in.
Despite the error that almost sparked a potentially devastating comeback for Spurs, Arteta could be seen in a lengthy embrace with Raya after the full time whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It’s part of football,” the Arsenal boss said of the mistake in his post-match press conference. “What I love is that David does that, he picks his hands up, which are quite heavy, and he was sensational for the last 20 or 25 minutes of the game. This is what I love about our players.”
Speaking to reporters after the game, Raya echoed these sentiments, choosing instead to focus on the positives of the closing stages of the match, rather than his mistake. “What he said was just about the character that I showed after the mistake,” Raya said when asked what his manager had said on the pitch. “I thought I was mentally very strong and I just forgot about the mistake, I just carried on playing my game and tried to help the team as much as possible. I think I showed that in the last 20 minutes.
“You are playing against really, really good opponents and they are really good at pressing. It showed on the mistake I made. I shouldn’t have played that ball, I should have gone a little bit longer, but I wanted to control the game a little bit more, but it didn’t happen. It showed how good they are at pressing and the plan was different. That’s part of football.”
Arsenal now have a one-point lead at the top of the Premier League with just three games remaining. However, City’s game in hand means that they are still strong favourites to land a fourth consecutive title.
The Gunners’ superior goal difference means they will only need Pep Guardiola’s side to draw for them to regain the advantage, however. For Raya, the focus is now on making sure Arsenal are in a strong position to take advantage of any slip ups City make.
“Every game is important and we have got three games,” he said. “We have to think about the next game – which is Bournemouth at home – we have to focus on that and learn from this game. There are things we can do better. We just have to carry on with this momentum, try to get the three points on Saturday and we will see what happens in the end.”
Curiously enough, Arsenal could be in a position where they are relying on their fierce north London rivals for a favour. Spurs host City in the penultimate game of the season, and will be looking to bolster their chance of finishing inside the top four. Raya, however, insists he is not too concerned about what goes on in that fixture.
“I don’t want to focus on that,” he said “I just want to focus on the team, on us, and focus on next Saturday.”
