“If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn” - David Raya reacts to his error in Tottenham vs Arsenal clash
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has stated that he will learn from his error in their Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, April 28. The Gunners just about survived to beat their arch-rivals 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to stay on track to win the title.
Arsenal enjoyed a fantastic first half, with a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg own-goal and strikes from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz putting them 3-0 up at the break. However, Spurs were handed a way back in the 64th minute when Raya's attempted lob ended up at the feet of Cristian Romero at the edge of the box. The Argentine finished off the chance to make it 3-1.
Son Heung-min then scored from the penalty spot with three minutes to go in regulation following a foul by Declan Rice on Ben Davies. However, Mikel Arteta's side somehow fended Tottenham off for the remainder of the contest (including six minutes of stoppage time) to seal the win.
Speaking after the game, Raya, whose error sparked a Spurs comeback, explained that he has always learnt from his mistakes and will do so again. He told Sky Sports:
"I've learnt from making mistakes. If you don't make mistakes, you don't learn. It's a part of football, everybody makes mistakes. But the thing [is] when a keeper makes a mistake, it's a goal, 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 learn from the mistakes."
The victory briefly put Arsenal four points clear at the top of the Premier League table once again after 35 matches. However, Manchester City's 2-0 win away to Nottingham Forest saw that lead cut down to one. City notably have a game in hand, incidentally away to Spurs on May 14.
A brief look at David Raya's performance for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur
While he made an avoidable and crucial error in the build-up to Cristian Romero's goal, David Raya largely enjoyed a decent outing on Sunday.
The Arsenal goalkeeper had no saves to make, with Tottenham Hotspur scoring with two of their three shots on target. Raya did, however, make three high claims as Spurs sent a barrage of crosses into the box during the latter stages of the match.
His passing was also an asset as he completed 12 of his 24 long-ball attempts, helping his side advance into spaces higher up the pitch at pace.