David Raya demands action after corner
David Raya demands action after corner
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is usually imperious in between the sticks for the Gunners, and has become somewhat of a stranger to criticism.
However, handed a rare chance to start for Spain on Saturday night, the 31-year-old found himself on the receiving end of widespread criticism from the Spanish press.
Luis de la Fuente's side picked up a 3-1 win over Czechia, with Arsenal star Mikel Merino on the scoresheet, but Raya was left with food for thought.
'Uncomfortable': Arsenal star David Raya receives rare criticism
David Raya (Spain)
The Arsenal star was handed a start for the first time since March, having been an unused substitute in all of his nation's last 10 outings, with Athletic Bilbao man Unai Simon preferred. Raya only conceded one goal, but was lucky that it was not more.
The goalkeeper was beaten by Jiri Slama in the 69th minute but almost let in a second when making a blunder from a routine free-kick 15 minutes later. Czechia thought that they had initially netted an equaliser in the moment, but a foul on Robin Le Normand prior to the goal saw the strike disallowed.
El Pais used one word to sum up Raya's performance and opted for 'intranquilo', translating to 'uncomfortable'. The outlet claimed that the player looked like a 'debutant' at times, and that criticism was compounded by AS labelling the player as 'lucky' not to see his error prove costly and Mundo Deportivo also noticing his nerves.
It's rare criticism for Raya, and comes after another Arsenal accolade last week. The goalkeeper won the Premier League Save of the Month for September for saving the Enzo Le Fee penalty against Sunderland.
After that match, praise was heaped on the Spaniard. Bruno Guimaraes said that Raya was 'definitely' the best in the world in his position following that win. The midfielder added: "He made some very good saves that kept us in the game.
"Unbelievable moment to save that penalty and I think after that we had confidence to play forward and we scored a goal. But yeah, everything because of this guy he is unbelievable."
What is going wrong for David Raya with Spain
David Raya (Spain)
So, why is it going wrong for Raya with the Spanish side? The most obvious answer is a lack of confidence. While Arteta has been unflinching in his trust in the player, it's evident that de la Fuente prefers Simon.
Lining up in the starting XI is a different task for Raya - one where he must outperform his rival in order to impress. With that pressure, inevitably, come mistakes like that against Czechia.
Both Arsenal and Spain have revered defensive lines, but the national side's tactics can leave them more vulnerable to transitions, which can also put Raya in a somewhat unusual situation compared to life with his club.
Nonetheless, Raya is very respected by de la Fuente. Speaking ahead of the World Cup in March, the Spain manager said:
And, despite the recent mistake and criticism, Raya knows he has the manager's backing. In response to those words, the Arsenal man replied: "I'm very grateful for the words. From the very first day he took charge, he's given me the confidence to keep coming back and help the team win things. I'm here for whatever is needed."