Raya's double save rescues Arsenal

Associated Press Bergamo (Italy): The first save was great. The second was even better. David Raya came to Arsenal's rescue in the Champions League on Thursday with a double save from a penalty that was celebrated by his teammates as wildly as a goal being scored. It preserved a 0-0 draw with Atalanta in the opening round in the revamped tournament, and provided a further demonstration of the shot-stopping qualities of a goalkeeper more renowned for his ability with the ball at his feet.

The Spain international dived to his right to block the 51st-minute spot kick taken by Mateo Retegui, after Thomas Partey tripped Ederson. Raya quickly got to his feet, scrambled across his line and then used his left arm to claw away a header from Retegui off the goal line after the ball had rebounded out to the Italy striker. “I was lucky to go the right way and save it,” Raya said. “I was unlucky to put the rebound straight to him but I was quick enough to get up and save the rebound. It is fantastic to be able to keep the clean sheet and to help the team at least get a point.” Raya gave a big roar and was mobbed by Arsenal's players in the goalmouth.

The goalkeeper performed a similar scrambling save on the goal line in the Premier League this season at Aston Villa to deny Ollie Watkins, before Arsenal went on to score twice in the second half for a 2-0 win. There were no late goals this time for Mikel Arteta's team, whose creativity and attacking spark has been hit by an ankle injury sustained by captain Martin Odegaard while playing for Norway during the recent international break. Odegaard has “significant” ankle ligament damage that will keep him out of action for “a while,” Arteta said before the Atalanta game.