Gary Neville brands Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya a ‘nervous wreck’ after Man City performance

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was put under early pressure by Manchester City on Sunday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, and Gary Neville was not impressed with his performance.

The former Brentford shot stopper almost made a huge blunder in deciding to take a touch from Gabriel Magalhaes’ back pass, charged down by Julian Alvarez. Raya breathed a sigh of relief as the ball bounced into the side netting off the City forward.

On commentary duty for Sky Sports, Neville suggested Raya was still unnerved from the mistake he made midweek against RC Lens.

“He’s just a bit jittery Raya,” Neville said. “He’s not seeing things as clearly as Arsenal fans would like. I can spot a keeper a mile off that’s a nervous wreck and there’s one right in front of you. The mistake in midweek he’s carried into this game, he’s not sharp enough and he’s very lucky.”

Mateo Kovacic escapes red card

The former Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic was shown a yellow card after 29 minutes after catching Martin Odegaard on the back of the leg with a rash challenge. The incident was reviewed by VAR but was not deemed worthy of a sending off.

Six minutes later, Kovacic was under the spotlight again, this time catching Declan Rice in a vain attempt to win the ball. Referee Michael Oliver did not reach for a second yellow card, however, a decision that baffled Neville.

“He is very lucky,” Neville said. “He gets Declan Rice’s right foot. What is he doing? I think he should be off. It is madness from Kovacic. Pep Guardiola must be thinking about making a substitution. The first one is close, that one is just crazy. I’m happy for the game point of view that there is 11 vs 11 on the pitch. But that is crazy. I think that’s a mistake [from the referee]. Kovacic has to go for that. I’m amazed he’s not.”

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and William Saliba defend David Raya

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and defender William Saliba have both come out in defence of David Raya after his performance against Manchester City. Arteta said that Raya had been “unlucky” and that he had “made some good saves” during the match. Saliba also praised Raya’s performance, saying that he had “shown great character” and had “kept us in the game”.

Conclusion

Gary Neville’s criticism of David Raya’s performance against Manchester City was harsh but understandable given the mistakes he made midweek against RC Lens. However, it is clear that Raya has the backing of his manager and teammates, and will be looking to put in a better performance in his next match.

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