Raya Saves Arsenal in Goalless Draw at Atalanta

David Raya’s stellar performance between the posts helped Arsenal secure a 0-0 draw against Atalanta on Thursday, kicking off their Champions League campaign with a gritty result.

In a challenging match at Atalanta’s revamped Gewiss Stadium, Mikel Arteta’s men managed to leave Bergamo with a point, despite struggling to create clear chances. Raya’s crucial double save early in the second half kept Arsenal from falling behind, denying Mateo Retegui’s penalty and the subsequent rebound.

Arsenal will now shift their focus to a critical Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday, where a stronger showing will be needed after Thursday’s underwhelming display in Italy.

Atalanta, who last competed in the Champions League in 2021, looked the better side in a match lacking significant goal-scoring opportunities. They were buoyed by their performance and can take positives from holding Arsenal to a draw.

Arsenal started the match brightly, but Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi was equal to the task, pulling off a superb double save in the 13th minute. He first denied Bukayo Saka’s free-kick with a fingertip stop before blocking Thomas Partey’s rebound effort.

The Italian side struggled to get into the game initially, with Arsenal applying high pressure and forcing errors. It wasn’t until around the 30th minute that Atalanta had their first real chance, with Charles De Ketelaere firing wide from the edge of the box after a clever set-up from Retegui.

Two minutes into the second half, Atalanta were awarded a penalty after Partey fouled Ederson in the box. However, Raya’s heroics saved the day for Arsenal, as he guessed correctly to stop Retegui’s spot-kick and then miraculously saved the rebound header.

In the dying moments, Atalanta substitute Juan Cuadrado came closest to breaking the deadlock, unleashing two powerful long-range shots that narrowly missed the target. Ultimately, both teams were forced to settle for a share of the points.

(AFP)