Arsenal has finally ended its dry spell at the Champions League and has proceeded to the quarter-finals after an 8-year wait. On Tuesday night, the Gunners won against FC Porto on penalties (4-2) to proceed further in the tournament. While it was a spectacular team performance, some names stood out more than others. David Raya was one player that shined throughout the game, especially when his team needed him the most.
David Raya Saved Two Penalties Against Porto
![David Raya saving a goal](https://totalapexsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image-73.jpg)
Raya revealed in the post-match conference that since the past few weeks the team had been working specifically on penalties. Last night, all those extra hours of practice came to fruition.
In the first leg of leg of the game, Porto took a lead over Arsenal with Galeno’s goal. However, in the second leg, at the Emirates, the Gunners quickly turned things around. Martin Odegaard delivered a splendid assist to the Belgian center forward Leandro Trossard who put the ball in the back of the next in the 41st minute of the game.
While both teams were unable to score in the second half and the extra time, the game proceeded to penalties. Martin Ødegaard took the first penalty for Arsenal and scored fabulously followed by Havertz, Saka, and Rice. However, when it came to David Raya, he saved the second penalty taken by Wendell and the fourth one taken by Galeno. The squad was delirious after the keeper blocked the last penalty from 12 yards and Arsenal won the game (4-2).
In the post-match interview, Raya stated, “I should have saved three, but I’m over the moon to save two. We played a really good game from the start. We dominated, created chances and it went down to penalties. We’ve worked a lot on penalties this year and all the hard work with the goalie coach and the team has paid off.”
Raya’s Incredible Spell At Arsenal
![David Raya With Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta](https://totalapexsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image-74.jpg)
Like most other football clubs, Arsenal has gone through its fair share of dark spells. There were times when everything from the players to the executives experienced extreme turmoil. However, the Gunners have always been blessed with great talent in the goalkeeping position.
Several big names Petr Cech, David Ospina, Emi Martinez, and Bernd Leno have guarded the goal for Arsenal’s squad. When David Raya signed for Arsenal last year from the MLS as a backup goalkeeper, he certainly had big shoes to fill. However, within no time, Raya has blossomed into one of the league’s finest goalkeepers. Plus, he has perfectly backed the squad’s primary goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
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