Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits he’s delighted with David Raya’s impact this season.
The goalkeeper has spent the campaign on-loan at Arsenal from Brentford and will be signed permanently this summer.
Arteta told ESPN Brasil: “We wanted to improve in this role, bring other qualities to the goalkeeper role.
“If you want to improve you have to raise your level and make a decision!”
Raya kept another clean sheet for Sunday’s win at Manchester United.
Arsenal Football club on Sunday evening stormed to the top of the Premier League table after defeating hot rivals Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.
The victory over United has now ensured that the Premier League title race will go down to the final day of the 2023/24 season.
Arsenal’s breakthrough though came from a Casemiro error. Positioning himself to play out from the back, Andre Onana instead went long and gave the ball to Arsenal. Kai Havertz was sent down the right, with Casemiro now playing him onside, before cutting the ball into the box. Leandro Trossard arrived from the opposite wing and tapped home.
Trossard’s goal proved to be the needed tonic Arsenal needed to continue to fight on till the very last day of the season.
All effort by the Red Devils to score in the game met a brick wall in the Gunners defense.
Their ever-impressive defence nullified United’s young forward line kept them at bay and earned a clean sheet without heading out of second gear.
The victory means that Mikel Arteta’s boys stand a chance to win the title provided City with a game in hand falter on the road to the final day of the season.
This is the first time in many years that the season will go down to the wire.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has revealed where Arsenal missed the Premier League title.
According to the Spaniard, Arsenal’s home defeat against Aston Villa has cost them the Premier League title.
Guardiola was speaking after their 4-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Josko Gvardiol scored twice, while Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet at Craven Cottage.
City are now one point ahead of Arsenal, with both teams having two matches left.
Guardiola, speaking to BBC Match of the Day, said: “Our dream is as we said a few weeks ago when they [Arsenal] lost against Aston Villa was to arrive in the last games with it in our hands, to play West Ham at home with the destiny belonging to us.”
City are away to Arsenal’s fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday next.
Josko Gvardiol scored twice as Manchester City put the pressure on Arsenal in the title race by beating Fulham to move two points clear at the top of the Premier League.
In a game they dominated from start to finish, the visitors opened the scoring early on when defender Gvardiol produced a clinical finish after a good move opened up the Fulham defence.
Phil Foden then continued his excellent form this season with a second after the break, sending a first-time finish past Bernd Leno.
Erling Haaland should have added a third midway through the second half but the Premier League’s top scorer somehow drove high over when through on goal.
But Manchester City did not have to wait long for another goal as Gvardiol stabbed in at the far post to put the result beyond Fulham.
Issa Diop was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time as he brought down Julain Alvarez inside the box, and the Manchester City substitute then duly converted the penalty.
The result means the Gunners head to Manchester United on Sunday needing to win to be certain of taking the title race to the final day of the season.
Manchester City are at Tottenham on Tuesday and if Arsenal fail to get a positive result at Old Trafford then victory will seal a fourth consecutive Premier League title for Guardiola’s side.
BBC
Cesc Fabregas, former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, has backed the Gunners to secure a ‘comfortable’ win at Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend.
He added that the visit of City to Fulham will be tricky.
Making his prediction on the Planet Premier League podcast, Fabregas said: “I consider it a big game, Arsenal v United, United v Arsenal, they have always been special games.
“It’s true, United at the moment are not at the level that they were in the past, we can all agree with that. I can see Arsenal being too strong for them at the moment.
“I do think Arsenal play by memory, they are confident, they believe, they have the experience. They have grown over the last year, they have improved, so I do think Arsenal will win that game comfortably.
“I will not say easily because United is United and the history, at the end of the day, the badge on the chest, we need to respect that and Old Trafford is Old Trafford.
“But again, I consider Arsenal are too strong at the moment.
“Fulham is a tricky one for Manchester City.
“They’ve had a good season, a very complete season. They’ve improved in many areas, they have a good coach so, yeah, I believe it’s going to be at least tricky for Manchester City to obtain the three points.”
Two Manchester United players, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez have resumed training ahead of the Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday.
This was confirmed on the club’s official website on Thursday.
Recall that United have been struck with too many injuries to the extent that defensive midfielder, Casemiro was drafted to play at center back in the Reds 4-0 drubbing by Crystal Palace on Monday night.
However, United post reads “Manchester United have welcomed Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford back into first-team training at Carrington.
“Our exclusive pics from the club’s base show the Argentina international and homegrown forward working with the main group after spells on the sidelines,” it read in part.
The Red Devils are on the verge of failing to qualify for any European competition, following a 4-0 humiliation at Crystal Palace on Monday.
However, the availability of Rashford and Martinez will be a big boost for Erik ten Hag, who is under immense pressure at Old Trafford.
David Seaman, former Arsenal goalkeeper, has posited that Manchester City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League trophy this season, noting the title is theirs to lose.
Seaman made his position known while speaking on his own podcast, Seaman emphasizing City’s formidable consistency and their unlikelihood to drop points.
According to Seaman, the title race would pivot on accumulated points rather than goal difference, expressing confidence in Pep Guardiola’s squad to secure victories in their remaining three fixtures and secure the coveted top spot.
Seaman asserted, “No [can’t see it going down to goal difference] if I’m honest. I can’t see Man City not winning every game, that’s my only problem.
“The only hard game that I see that they’ve got is Spurs away, and the form that Spurs are in at the moment is like Man United.”
Man City currently sits in second position on the Premier League table with a point behind leaders Arsenal.
The Cityzens, however, have a game in hand.
Paul Tierney has been given the mantle to officiate Manchester United versus Arsenal on matchday 37 this coming Sunday.
On Video Assistant Referee duties will be John Brooks
Recall that United lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace on Monday night and will be looking to bounce back to reckoning in the Sunday’s clash against the Gunners.
Before the defeat at Selhurst Park, Erik ten Hag’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley at home.
Arsenal, on the other hand, will be eyeing all three points as they seek to keep pace at the top of the table.
Arsenal’s main opposition in the title contention, Manchester City could be on top of the log if they win their 36th game of the season before Arsenal vs United game later on Sunday.
City would be crowned champions of this season’s Premier League should they win their remaining games of the season.
Arsenal Football club on Saturday opened a four point gap on the top of the log after recording an emphatic 3-0 victory over visitors, Bournemouth.
Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice all registered their names on the score sheet to give the Gunners all three points.
Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot when Kai Havertz was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Mark Travers, although the German initiated the contact.
Trossard doubled the lead with a lovely finish before the Cherries saw Antonie Semenyo’s goal disallowed for a soft foul on David Raya
Declan Rice then wrapped it up with a fine low strike in stoppage time.
The result meant that Arsenal now have 83 points, four more than City who host Wolves in Saturday’s late kick-off.
City still have a game in hand.
David Raya of Arsenal has beaten Everton goalie Jordan Pickford to win the Premier League Golden Glove Award for the 2023/2024 season,
Pickford lost the award to Raya after Elijah Adebayo scored against him in Luton, Everton 1-1 draw on Friday night.
The Toffees had taken the lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty, before Adebayo controlled a long pass and smashed the ball past Pickford.
Raya, on the other hand, has 14 clean sheets with three fixtures left to play.
The best Pickford can do is equal Raya’s tally, although that is unlikely with him facing title contenders Arsenal on the last day.