Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya produced a mesmeric double save to deny Atalanta an opening goal in their Champions League showdown. The Spaniard was at his brilliant best to save the blushes of his team-mates and keep the scores level in Bergamo.
The first half provided little action, with Arsenal struggling to get going and Atalanta equal to their attempts to find a breakthrough. After the break, the match sprung into life with Thomas Partey conceding a penalty after hauling Ederson to the ground in the box.
A lengthy VAR review followed to determine whether the foul was commited outside the area, with the referee eventually pointing to the spot. Mateo Retegui stepped up for Atalanta but Raya pulled off an astonishing double save to prevent Arsenal from going behind.
Retegui fired low and hard after a stuttering run-up, with Raya guessing the right way and getting a strong hand on the ball. He parried it right into the path of Retegui, who looked certain to head home the rebound from just a few yards out.
Unfortunately for him, Raya leapt back to his feet and raced across his line to claw the ball around the post. He was immediately mobbed by his Arsenal team-mates, who could not believe what they had just seen from their goalkeeper.
Robbie Savage, who was covering the match as a pundit on TNT Sports, was left stunned by Raya’s heroics and said: “I’ve got to say, that is one of the best saves I have ever seen. The second one. Wow, that is unbelievable.
“How he gets up so [quickly]… that is incredible. It’s one of the best saves I have ever seen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done as well as that.”
Fellow analyst Rio Ferdinand added: “You see goalkeepers do that every day in training, when they make a save and get up and have to go and react to the second one. That’s where it comes into practice. It’s a beautiful save, great agility.”
Raya has emerged as one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe since establishing himself as Arsenal’s undisputed first choice between the sticks. If he continues to pull off incredible saves at crucial moments, he will not be at risk of losing his place any time soon.
