‘Two of the best saves’: Mikel Arteta hails David Raya after Atalanta heroics

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were far from their best against Atalanta but praised David Raya for his brilliant double save from Mateo Retegui’s second-half penalty that rescued a point in their opening Champions League match.

The Spaniard produced the game’s standout moment three minutes into the second half after first consulting with the Arsenal goalkeeping coach, Iñaki Caña, before facing the penalty. But while Arteta said he was pleased with the impact Raya has made since signing from Brentford last season, he was adamant that Arsenal must improve for Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City.

Related: David Raya’s double save after penalty earns Arsenal draw at Atalanta

“We gave a lot of simple balls away,” he said. “But we didn’t suffer defensively. That’s the reality. Then I witnessed two of the best saves of my career from David in that moment.”

Asked whether the departure of his rival Aaron Ramsdale had given Raya more confidence, he added: “That’s a question for him. Certainly last year was already very impressive. Even with that different context for sure. This season he’s been exceptional. The save he made against Villa and today kept us in the game. You need that from a goalkeeper at this level. I’m really happy he’s in that form at the moment.”

Raya revealed that he had taken the opportunity to speak to Caña when the video assistant was checking the referee Clément Turpin’s decision.

“I went to speak to the goalie coach to get a better sense of what to do and what not to do,” he said. “He helped me a lot in every aspect, so credit to him as well. He does all the work with everything. I was lucky I went the right way to save it. I was unlucky the rebound fell to him but I was quick enough to get up and save the rebound. It’s fantastic to save it and for the team to get a point.”

The Atalanta manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, was also left astonished by the quality of his save. “He’s a cat. The first save is good but the rebound is unbelievable,” he said. “I believe the goalkeeper has been crucial. I feel sorry for Mateo because I believe it’s his best performance since he’s been with us.”