“Sign of a top mental profile” - Arsenal fans defend 28-year-old star despite ‘bozo’ moment in 3-2 win v Spurs
Arsenal fans on X have leaped to the defense of David Raya after his error allowed Tottenham Hotspur to get back into the game in their 3-2 win.
The Gunners sealed all three points in emphatic fashion as they won the north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. They were much more clinical in the first half, taking the lead in the 15th minute through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's own goal.
Bukayo Saka (27') and Kai Havertz (38') netted one goal apiece to give Arsenal a commanding 3-0 going into the second half. However, Spurs responded valiantly and dominated the first half, boasting an xG of 2.37 in comparison to the Gunners' 1.08.
David Raya made a huge error, playing a pass straight to Cristian Romero, who made no mistake to find the bottom-right corner in the 64th minute. Tottenham pushed for a second, getting it via Son Heung-min's 87th-minute penalty, however, Arsenal were able to hold their lead to get the win.
Despite his error, Raya commanded his box well, making 11 recoveries and three high claims. Fans defended him, with one posting:
"Raya was claiming a tonne of crosses after his error. Fair play. That’s massive courage/sign of a top mental profile."
Another fan wrote:
"David Raya, by the way. Catches every cross, can only be beaten from the penalty spot, handed them a way back in to give them a boost before they play Man City. You can't teach vision like that."
"David Raya I forgive you for the high blood pressure, heads up King!!"
Other fan reactions can be viewed below:
"It’s funny cause Raya had probably his best performance for us if you ignore that little asterisk lol", one fan claimed.
"All goalkeepers make mistakes. Raya made one at a terrible time. But he responded calmly and did everything else right", another fan said.
"Head up David Raya, we won the game regardless Alhamdulilah", one fan stated.
"David Raya was quality today anyways. Minus the mistake", another fan said.
"Raya messed up, it happens. Caught literally everything from then on, he made the most threatening crosses look like they were headed straight at him. I can get behind that", one fan wrote.
"David Raya didn’t let that bozo moment have an effect on him. He has redeemed himself. He commanded the box well ever since" another fan chimed in.
How did Arsenal fare in their 3-2 win against Tottenham?
Arsenal won their second away league game against Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since 1988 to boost their title aspirations. They remain at the top of the table with 80 points from 35 games, four points above Manchester City, having played two games more.
Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams fared:
Tottenham dominated possession with 63 percent of the ball, attempting 555 passes with an accuracy of 89 percent. Mikel Arteta and Co. only had 37 percent possession and attempted 341 passes with an accuracy of 81 percent.
Spurs were more industrious in attack too landing 14 shots in total with two being on target. However, Arsenal mustered nine shots in total with three being on target.