‘In the form of his life’ – Matt Le Tissier praises Arsenal player who ‘puts teammates to shame’
Arsenal prevailed over Olympiacos in the Champions League on 1 October as they won 2-0 in front of the home faithful.
Having been in-and-out of the squad, Gabriel Martinelli must start for Arsenal against West Ham after bagging another goal in Europe.
The Brazilian was potent in front of goal with Martin Odegaard also shining for Arsenal against Olympiacos as he teed up Bukayo Saka for the second goal on the night.
Premier League legend Matt Le Tissier exclusively told Football Insider his thoughts on the dominant Gunners performance and who stood out under the lights at the Emirates.
David Raya exudes class for Arsenal as distribution outshines teammates
Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist was stunned by David Raya’s performance against Olympiacos as he proved to be the difference maker once again.
The Spaniard made three saves, preventing 0.61 xG to help the Gunners claim all three points in Europe’s elite competition.
Speaking exclusively to Football insider, Le Tissier also noted the ex-Brentford shot stopper’s supreme passing range on top of his goalkeeping excellence.
He said: “David Raya’s performance last night [1 October] was unbelievable. He is in the form of his life right now.
“Honestly, his distribution puts to shame some of the outfield players if I’m honest and the save from Daniel Podence, wow, what a save that was.”
High praise indeed for the Spaniard.
Raya’s passing execution highlights Arsenal ambition
When looking further into the stats of Mikel Arteta’s prized keeper, it highlights how essential he is to the way the Gunners build up from the back.
The 30-year-old’s pass map, as demonstrated via Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, shows his ambition to send the ball long to give Arsenal another weapon to initiate attacks.
Raya executed 28 of his 41 passes with a 68 per cent passing accuracy, including seven long balls finding their target.
Indeed, the former Bee does not always find his intended target, but the sheer intent of his passing range indicates how he defines the modern day shot stopper and is integral to the way Arteta wants to play.