‘He’s a cat!’ – Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini singles out David Raya for praise after Arsenal draw

Gian Piero Gasperini heaped praise connected David Raya’s ‘fantastic’ and ‘crucial’ double-save pursuing Atalanta’s stalemate with Arsenal successful the Champions League, comparing the goalkeeper’s reflexes to those of a cat.

Serie A outfit Atalanta were awarded a punishment successful the 48th infinitesimal aft Thomas Partey’s clumsy foul connected Ederson and Mateo Retegui stepped up to instrumentality the spot-kick astatine successful Bergamo.

Raya got down debased to his right-hand broadside to contradict Retegui’s archetypal effort earlier rapidly returning to his feet to support retired the forward’s headed rebound and support the scoreline goalless.

It proved the standout infinitesimal from an different lacklustre matter successful which some teams managed conscionable 2 shots connected people crossed the 90 minutes.

‘He’s a cat! The [initial] prevention is good but the 2nd prevention connected the rebound is fantastic,’ Atalanta manager Gasperini told reporters erstwhile asked astir Raya’s unthinkable double-save astatine his post-match property conference.

‘Perhaps for Mateo Retegui it was astir apt the 2nd accidental that helium missed, not connected the penalty.

‘But I judge the goalkeeper has been important and I consciousness atrocious for Mateo Retegui due to the fact that I judge it was his champion show since he’s been present with us.

‘It would person been an other cherry connected apical if helium had scored a extremity tonight.’

Gasperini was pleased with his side’s show against past year’s runners-up successful the Premier League and felt determination was inactive country for betterment going guardant successful the competition.

‘I deliberation it’s been a precise utile crippled due to the fact that we faced a precise pugnacious team,’ helium added.

‘They were hard to flooded but we didn’t concede overmuch to them.

‘We are coming disconnected this crippled with a show from our strikers that we haven’t seen for a agelong time. It showed that we tin perchance play with 3 strikers going forward.

‘I deliberation that made it easier for those astatine the backmost and besides the squad.

‘Also, erstwhile you play against these teams that are precise coagulated and beardown astatine the back, we person done immoderate precise bully things that we repetition successful the future.

‘It is not casual doing truthful erstwhile you look teams with specified a beardown defence but contiguous successful the crippled build-up I deliberation we did truly good and we tin besides amended it.’

After the match, Arsenal’s leader Raya credited goalkeeping manager Inaki Cana for the proposal helium gave successful the build-up to Retegui’s second-half penalty.

‘I took the determination to spell to the sideline due to the fact that it was a agelong hold to determine if it was a punishment oregon not,’ the Spaniard told TNT Sports.

‘So I conscionable went to talk with the goalie manager to person much consciousness of wherever to spell and wherever not to spell and what to bash and what not to do.

‘He helped maine a batch successful each aspect. Credit to him, helium does each the enactment for everything and it’s large to person the prevention with him.’

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