Arsenal hero David Raya sends classy Sunderland message and reveals Enzo Le Fée penalty strategy
David Raya praised Sunderland after Arsenal’s victory and explained how he denied Enzo Le Fée from the penalty spot
David Raya praised Sunderland’s physicality and quality after the Arsenal goalkeeper played a decisive role in the Premier League champions’ hard-fought victory at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland caused Mikel Arteta’s side significant problems and were presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead when Enzo Le Fée stepped up from the penalty spot. Raya denied the Frenchman before former Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães struck at the opposite end just two minutes later.
Raya was required again as Sunderland chased an equaliser, producing several important saves to preserve Arsenal’s advantage. Bukayo Saka eventually converted a late penalty following Reinildo’s dismissal, but the final scoreline did not reflect how closely contested the game had been.
Asked how difficult Sunderland had been to face, Raya said: “We know how difficult it is to come to this place. Not many teams come away with a win and with a clean sheet. So, credit to them, the way they play, they make it very, very difficult, very physical. They had their chances, which we defended very well, and we were lucky with the pen to go out to save it. So, we know how good they are, and I think they’re going to be a very, very big battle to be here.”
Raya also explained the fine margins involved in his penalty save. Le Fée struck his effort firmly, but the Arsenal goalkeeper chose the correct direction and managed to divert the ball onto the post. “Yes, I think it’s a really, really good strike from Le Fée and we know he’s a really good penalty taker,” Raya said.
“But I think we did very well to go to that side and go low, a little bit lower, instead of going mid-high to be able to get the hand onto the post. I was worried about going off the line, which the ref was waiting for the throw-in, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh no, it might be a retake,’ but luckily I stayed on the line, which is really, really important for us.”
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Asked whether Arsenal had researched Le Fée’s penalties before the game, Raya added: “No, I think I was looking at the bench to see, speaking a little bit with the goalie coach, to see what we were going to do and we just trusted our instincts and we made the right call.”
Bruno, who was substituted on at half-time by manager Mikel Arteta, then punished Sunderland almost immediately with a brilliant finish. Raya believes the Brazilian’s blend of quality, leadership and aggression makes him a major asset for Arsenal.
“He brings a lot of things, he brings maturity, he brings competitiveness, he brings leadership,” Raya said. “He’s a warrior, but he’s so technically gifted. He reads the game very, very well, and he will put his life to defend and to attack, so he’s a fantastic player to have with us, and hopefully he stays injury-free so we can enjoy him a lot.”