Raya says Arsenal are using Budapest pain as fuel
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya says the club are using the pain of their Champions League final defeat to drive them on this season. He said the loss to Paris Saint-Germain will never leave the squad and has to stay in the team's bloodstream. The Guardian
The final was played in Budapest in May. Arsenal drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain after extra time, then lost 4-3 in a penalty shootout, where each side takes five kicks from the spot. Ousmane Dembélé sent Raya the wrong way from 12 yards to level the score. Arsenal.com Paris Saint-Germain went on to win back-to-back Champions League titles.
Raya said he hopes Arsenal can win the trophy one day, because that would help take the sting out of the final. He spoke about it as a long-running wound rather than something to hide from.
The club's season has been moving in the right direction since. On Wednesday, Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Champions League. Raya made a diving save to stop a header from Oskar Kubiak, helping his side hold on at the end. BBC Sport
Raya said Arsenal played really well in the first half and created a lot of chances. He also credited his own self-belief, the hard work done during the week, and the backing of the staff, the goalkeeping coach and his teammates for the saves he keeps making. Slavia finished with 18 shots, but many of them came from poor positions. Expected goals, or xG, is a way of measuring the quality of a chance, and Slavia's total was 2.23 xG across the match. Telegraph
The win moved Arsenal up to third in the Champions League table, with 10 points from four matches. They have also now gone 10 away games in Europe without a defeat.
Their next tests are at home. Arsenal are scheduled to face Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates, then host Real Madrid on 9 December.
For neutral fans, the message from the dressing room is simple. Last season Arsenal became the first team to win all eight of their league-stage games in the Champions League, and they reached the final. Raya's point is that the final still counts, and that the club want the chance to put it right.
