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Arsenal are sweating connected the fittingness of goalkeeper David Raya up of Sunday’s captious Premier League lucifer against Manchester City.
The Gunners were without their No.1 for past night’s Champions League triumph implicit Girona which saw Mikel Arteta’s broadside cement their spot successful the past 16.
Raya missed the crippled with an unspecified injury which allowed Neto to marque his debut, 5 months aft signing connected indebtedness from Bournemouth successful the summer.
The 35-year-old was a little than convincing beingness betwixt the posts, making an mistake with his archetypal interaction wrong the archetypal infinitesimal earlier being caught mode retired of presumption for Arnaut Danjuma’s opener.
Arsenal had teenager’s Jack Porter and Tommy Setford connected the seat but neither were called upon.
Raya did marque the travel to Spain but watched the crippled from the stands with Arteta adamant the erstwhile Brentford prima was not successful a acceptable authorities to play.
According to The Athletic, however, Arsenal are assured the 29-year-old, who has enjoyed an outstanding campaign, volition beryllium acceptable to look the champions astatine the Emirates connected Sunday.
While Neto failed to grasp his accidental to shine, the aforesaid could not beryllium said for teen Ethan Nwaneri who scored a blistering victor connected what was his archetypal commencement successful the competition.
It was the latest measurement successful a singular ascent for the teenager, who successful the lack of the injured Bukayo Saka has installed himself arsenic a cardinal portion of Arteta’s squad.
The triumph successful Girona, which ensured Arsenal finished 3rd successful the last standings to gain a seeded spot successful the past 16 without the request for a play-off successful February, was Nwaneri’s archetypal commencement successful Europe having made a fig of substitute appearances this season.
‘It’s 1 of the highest decidedly due to the fact that it’s the Champions League, it’s what I’ve loved and watched since I was young,’ helium said. ‘So to travel present and triumph antheral of the lucifer connected my starting debut, it’s a peculiar feeling. I’m happy.
‘Listening to the euphony was surreal, that’s the infinitesimal I’ve lived for my full life. The euphony was peculiar to me, truthful that was great. It’s crazy, beingness moves fast. But I’m blessed to beryllium here. This is wherever I’ve ever wanted to be, truthful I’m grateful that I’m here.’
Arsenal, who needed a constituent against already-eliminated Girona to rubber-stamp nonstop transition to the past 16, concisely looked successful occupation successful the Estadi Montilivi erstwhile erstwhile Tottenham guardant Danjuma pounced connected Neto’s mistake.
The visitors levelled via a Jorginho punishment aft Thomas Partey was fouled wrong the box, mounting the signifier for Nwaneri to permission his people with a beauteous curled decorativeness aft sidestepping 3 Girona defenders.
Raheem Sterling missed a stoppage-time penalty, soon aft Cristhian Stuani had had a extremity disallowed for offside for Girona, but Arsenal hung on.
‘I deliberation the squad played precise well,’ said Nwaneri. ‘We dug successful until the past infinitesimal and I was blessed to person contributed with the goal. It was conscionable each instinct, I conscionable saw the space. I conscionable sensed that the goalkeeper wouldn’t expect the shot, truthful I took it and scored.
‘It was hard getting done successful the Champions League, truthful I’m arrogant of the team. Obviously you’d similar to decorativeness first, but I deliberation third’s precise good.
‘The knockout stages is wherever it starts to get truly absorbing truthful I deliberation this squad volition bash good and spell acold definitely.’
MORE: Bournemouth vs Liverpool: Latest squad news, predicted lineup and injuries
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