Mikel Arteta speaks out on Arsenal star’s dodgy debut and David Raya injury

Mikel Arteta insists helium has nary concerns astir the imaginable of Neto deputising for David Raya erstwhile Arsenal look Manchester City connected Sunday.

The experienced erstwhile Barcelona and Valencia goalkeeper belatedly made his debut for the Gunners past nighttime successful a 2-1 triumph implicit Girona.

Raya made the travel to Spain but missed the lucifer with an unspecified wounded which paved the mode for Neto to marque his archetypal quality for the nine helium joined successful the summertime connected indebtedness from Bournemouth.

Having played for the Cherries successful the aboriginal stages of the Carabao Cup, the 35-year-old has been blocked from featuring successful the contention for Arsenal and with Raya cementing his presumption arsenic No.1, Neto had spent the full run connected the bench.

With his broadside each but done to the past 16, Arteta fielded a overmuch changed line-up past nighttime with Neto betwixt the posts, but it was an inauspicious commencement for the seasoned keeper.

Neto astir conceded successful the opening infinitesimal aft coming perilously adjacent to stumbling connected the shot and helium was severely astatine responsibility for Arnaut Danjuma’s opener erstwhile helium was marooned successful no-man’s land.

The mistake was compounded by his determination to effort a prevention with his hands portion helium was positioned yards extracurricular his punishment country which would person resulted successful a reddish paper had helium made interaction with the ball.

Thankfully, aft a hard start, Neto got done the remainder of the lucifer unscathed and was bailed retired by goals from Jorginho, via the punishment spot, and Ethan Nwaneri arsenic Arsenal cemented 3rd spot down Liverpool and Barcelona.

Raya present faces a contention against clip to beryllium acceptable to diagnostic against City but Arteta is assured Neto tin capable the void if the Spain planetary fails to recover.

Asked if Neto would deputise successful Raya’s imaginable absence, the Arsenal brag said: Yes, that’s wherefore he’s present to bash that occupation and he’s done it for 20-odd years successful his career.’

Defending his hard start, Arteta added: ‘I’m precise blessed archetypal of each that helium played, it’s been 7 months since helium played his past lucifer and it’s not casual truthful precise blessed that helium played and we won the game.’

Pressed for an update connected Raya’s condition, helium said: He surely could not play, he’s injured and that’s it. Let’s spot however it goes.’

Arteta, meanwhile, took important encouragement from the cognition his squad displayed amid speech that the occupation of reaching the past 16 without the request for a play-off.

He said: ‘I didn’t similar the sound and the speech everything was astir if you bash that. If, if, if, if, if.

‘And I conscionable propulsion that each away. If, if we win, and if we do, and we are amended than the opposition, we’re gonna beryllium determination for sure.

‘And we tin beryllium second. That should beryllium the lone objective. Nothing else.

‘And that’s wherefore I demanded the players contiguous that we play with that mentality due to the fact that determination is simply a batch of messages intrinsic successful each performance.

‘And a squad has to look the crippled ever with the volition to win, and contiguous we person done that.’