David Raya’s mistakes could cost Arsenal the Premier League title, says Chris Sutton on It’s All Kicking Off… but he does pledge to write a letter of apology if the Spaniard proves him wrong!
- Raya was at fault for two Luton goals as Arsenal snatched dramatic 4-3 victory
- Mikel Arteta refused to discuss the goalkeeping situation after the match
- It will do Arsenal no harm at all to have Arteta out of sight at Villa Park – It’s All Kicking Off
Chris Sutton has told Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off show he fears David Raya’s errors could cost Arsenal the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta has kept faith with the Spanish goalkeeper since replacing England international Aaron Ramsdale earlier in the campaign.
But Raya was at fault for two goals in Arsenal’s 4-3 win at Luton Town on Tuesday night. He allowed Elijah Adebayo to out-jump him and score, before seeing Ross Barkley’s shot squirm underneath him.
It required a last-gasp Declan Rice header to bail Arsenal out following the errors.
Afterwards, Arteta looked uncomfortable as he refused to discuss the goalkeeping situation.
David Raya was at fault for two of Luton’s goals in Arsenal’s dramatic Kenilworth Road win
Raya is outjumped by Luton’s Elijah Adebayo, who headed home their second goal
The keeper then allowed Ross Barkley’s shot to squirm underneath his body for Luton’s third
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Sutton believes Arteta may be unwilling to acknowledge he has made a mistake when it comes to his No 1 keeper.
‘The one thing from Arteta’s perspective, and this Raya-Ramsdale debate: Will his stubbornness to carry on with David Raya in the position they’re in, could that cost them the title at the end of the season?’ Sutton asked on It’s All Kicking Off.
‘I just don’t get it. I know what happened at the start, he was hinting there would be an even spread of games amongst both goalkeepers but the other night I thought there was a couple of huge errors.
‘He can’t keep making those errors if Arsenal want to win the Premier League.’
Mail Sport’s football editor Ian Ladyman suggested that Arteta’s faith in Raya could come good over time.
He said: ‘Raya has had the best part of a third of the season now to show he’s the right man and he hasn’t really shown it. So you’d think common sense suggests Mikel Arteta takes him out the firing line.
‘However, if I take you back to what we talked about on Monday about Tottenham and you said that the reason Tottenham are playing the way they’re playing, apart from the fact that’s Postecoglou’s creed, is that it’s about a process.
‘It’s about the long-term and you take the hits along the way to get to how you want to play along the way.
Mail Sport’s Chris Sutton fears Raya could cost Arsenal the Premier League title
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wasn’t too keen on discussing Raya’s shortcomings post-match
Aaron Ramsdale lost his place to Raya earlier in the season and hasn’t won it back so far
‘Maybe Mikel Arteta is looking at David Raya and thinking: ‘I know there’s a great goalkeeper in there, I know he is the one for me, I see it every day in training, I have to keep going so that he gets to where I know he can be.’
‘If I take him out now, I am back to square one.’
Sutton replied: ‘Is this too simplistic – a little bit like my criticism of Andre Onana at Manchester United, people see David Raya as good with his feet, not very good with his hands. Is that fair? Is that right?
‘At Premier League level, you have to be dominant in your box. Is he dominant when crosses come in? No.
‘Shot-stopping, he’s ok, the one went under his body the other night and that happens.
‘But in the context of a title race and Arsenal are well in this title race, that is a bad goal to concede. Declan Rice bailed him out.’
However, later in the podcast, Sutton did pledge to write Raya a letter of apology if he does help Arsenal win the league title.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify
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