David Raya believes Arsenal’s goalkeeper coach ‘won’t be happy’ with him despite his penalty shootout heroics in the Champions League.
Arsenal defeated Porto on penalties on Tuesday night to reach the quarter-finals of the UCL for the first time since 2010.
Leandro Trossard scored just before half-time to level the tie at 1-1, with the match at the Emirates heading to a shootout which the home side won 4-2.
The Gunners scored all four of their spot-kicks, with Raya brilliantly saving two of Porto’s efforts, but the Spaniard later revealed that he wasn’t totally content with his performance.
‘I should have saved three. I don’t think the goalie coach will be happy that I conceded the third one,’ he told TNT Sports.
Porto’s third penalty was taken by Marko Grujic, and though Raya managed to get a hand onto the shot he couldn’t quite stop the ball from squeezing in at the top right corner.
‘We had a plan of going one side or the other, and it depends on the players,’ Raya added as he explained his penalty preparations.
‘You study them as well and as well with the players they study the goalkeepers nowadays. So credit to the GK Department that it has paid off.
‘We’ve been practicing since the start of the season. We have to, even in the Premier League it can be decided by a penalty and in moments like this you have to be ready when you are asked to do it.
‘So I think all the hard work that we’ve been working on in training paid off.’
Like his teammate Bukayo Saka, Raya was asked by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry whether he would rather win the Premier League or Champions League this season, but he had a different answer to the England winger.
‘Both,’ the 28-year-old bluntly replied.
‘Obviously it’s a great feeling, especially for me personally – my first time in the Champions League and the first time in a long time club has got to the quarter-finals.
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‘Porto made it so difficult over there and here. But we scored the goal that we needed and it went to penalties. Obviously, mentally it’s tough but the team played really, really well, we kept a clean sheet, scored the goal and went to penalties.
‘It means everything, You play football for these kind of nights. Over the moon and I’m going to celebrate and enjoy the night.’
Arsenal will discover their quarter-final opponents on Friday, while they’ll now have a few weeks rest before their next clash – the pivotal league game at title rivals Manchester City.
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