David Raya hits back after huge error in Arsenal’s derby win at Tottenham
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has issued a defiant message after his mistake in the north London derby allowed Tottenham Hotspur to score on Sunday.
The Gunners confidently dominated play during the first half of Sunday’s derby, scoring three goals before Spurs could even net one. Tottenham’s chances in the game were slipping away as the hour mark approached, until a shock goal from Cristian Romero gave the hosts a lifeline.
His goal, however, was partly due to the fault of Gunners goalkeeper Raya. A careless pass from the Arsenal goalkeeper landed right in front of Romero, who had no problem finding the net thereafter.
Raya was keen to admit that mistakes do occur, pledging to learn from his error in the future.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Spain international said: „I’ve learned from making mistakes. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn. It’s part of football, everybody makes mistakes.
„But the thing is, when the keeper makes a mistake, normally it is a goal and it’s more seen, more talked [about] compared to a striker missing a tap-in or whatever. But it’s just part of football and you learn from that, that’s the most important thing. You just learn from the mistakes.“
Raya has managed to usurp Aaron Ramsdale in the Gunners pecking order this season following an initial loan move from Brentford. This deal will become permanent in the summer, with the Bees to receive a total package worth £30m.
Arsenal managed to hold on to all three points at Tottenham despite the error from Raya and remain at the top of the Premier League table with three matches to go, though second-place Manchester City still have a game in hand to play.