Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was praised as the ‘best in the world’ following his standout performance in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions.
Though Manchester City netted a last-gasp equaliser to prevent Mikel Arteta’s side from securing a memorable victory, earning a point was still a significant achievement for Arsenal, especially after being reduced to ten men before halftime.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for the home team with his 100th goal for City, but Arsenal responded before the break with a stunning goal from Riccardo Calafiori and a powerful header from Gabriel.
A pivotal moment occurred just before halftime when Leandro Trossard, already on a yellow card, was shown a second yellow and sent off for time-wasting by kicking the ball away.
With only ten men, Arsenal spent most of the second half defending deep but managed to frustrate Manchester City until John Stones found a scrappy equaliser in the 98th minute.
Arsenal’s defense was exceptional throughout, with Raya making a series of vital saves and handling crosses with precision.
Having secured a permanent move to Arsenal in the summer after a successful loan, Raya’s outstanding form continued, earning him the title of the ‘best goalkeeper in the world’ following his performance at the Etihad Stadium.
‘He’s certainly a keeper in form, in great form,’ ex-Tottenham defender Gary Stevens told Stadium Astro. ‘He’s right up there.
‘He’s dominant when he comes to crosses and he’s a great shot-stopper. He joined the club on loan and there was that debate over who would start.
‘Mikel Arteta stuck with Raya and he’s now a permanent signing and Arsenal have got this one right, 100%.’
When asked whether he considered Raya the best goalkeeper in the world on current form, Stevens added: ‘Yeah, he’s right up there.
‘Now I would definitely say there’s not a better goalkeeper out there than him.’
Former Manchester United player Lee Sharpe echoed Stevens’ sentiment, saying: ‘Today he [Raya] showed command of his penalty box and that takes so much stress out of defending when the goalkeeper comes and claims the ball.
‘He was different class. I would say so [he’s the best in the world]. Obviously Ederson’s at the other end and he didn’t have a thing to do so it’s hard to judge. But Raya is in such a rich vein of form at the moment.’
