August 26th 2024.
Former football player Gary Lineker was thoroughly impressed by Arsenal's recent victory over Aston Villa. He was particularly impressed by the performance of Arsenal's goalkeeper, David Raya, who he believes has now reached a "world-class" level. The match, which took place on Saturday, saw Arsenal secure their second consecutive win under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta. Goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey in the second half helped secure the win against Unai Emery's team at Villa Park.
One of the highlights of the match was Raya's sensational save to deny Ollie Watkins after a deflected shot hit the bar. This save proved to be crucial as Arsenal soon took the lead through Trossard before Partey sealed the deal with a goal that former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez should have saved. Raya, who joined Arsenal from Brentford in the summer, also made a crucial save in the previous weekend's win against Wolves.
Lineker, who used to play for England, believes that Raya has truly earned his "world-class" status and praised Arteta for his decision to sign him despite the solid performances of former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale helped Arsenal challenge for the Premier League title in 2022-23, but has since fallen out of favor due to Raya's arrival.
During an episode of The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker stated, "Mikel Arteta is clearly not afraid to make big decisions. This time last year, we were questioning why he was bringing in David Raya, but now we can see that he is an exceptional goalkeeper. He made a sensational save last week and he did the same against Aston Villa. How quickly did he get up from the ground to keep out Ollie Watkins? It was absolutely world-class."
Former England defender Micah Richards also agreed with Lineker's assessment of Raya, but he expressed sympathy for Ramsdale, who may leave Arsenal this week due to his decreased playing time under Arteta. Both Wolves and Southampton have expressed interest in signing Ramsdale before the transfer window closes.
Richards said, "It was a world-class save from Raya. It was a bold decision from Mikel Arteta to replace Ramsdale with Raya, but it clearly paid off. I feel sorry for Aaron Ramsdale because I don't think he did anything wrong, but Arteta was just looking for those small improvements."
Next weekend, Arsenal, who have finished second in the Premier League for the past two years, will face off against Brighton, who recently beat Manchester United. Fans can expect more exciting matches from Arsenal as they continue their Premier League campaign. For all the latest news, exclusive content, and in-depth analysis of Arsenal, be sure to sign up for updates. Your privacy is important to us, and our site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
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