David Raya reveals Dubai secret to Gabriel Magalhaes’ Arsenal goal after reworked corner routine
Arsenal bounced back to winning form with a convincing 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, addressing concerns about their goal-scoring capabilities. Following a recent stretch of only one goal scored and six conceded in three games, the team made a significant turnaround.
Gabriel Magalhaes initiated the scoring with a novel addition to Arsenal’s set-piece strategies, capitalizing on a corner taken by Declan Rice from the left.
The second goal, credited to Bukayo Saka’s corner, had Dean Henderson’s touch deemed decisive by a Premier League panel, denying Gabriel a brace.
Before the match, Arsenal had undergone warm weather training in Dubai, led by Mikel Arteta and Nicolas Jover, aiming to improve their performance.
Subsequently, football.london inquired whether the alterations in corner tactics were a result of the team’s time in the Middle East.
“I think we worked on set pieces a lot on and we looked to score and I think we have a massive threat with our players to score on set pieces,” he said. “I think we have shown during the season that we can score on set plays and it was great to score two goals from them.”
Raya delivered what could be considered his most impressive performance in an Arsenal jersey this season.
While there was a moment of worry, he handled Jefferson Lerma’s shot adeptly, successfully thwarting all other efforts on the Arsenal goal.
Particularly noteworthy was Raya’s throw to Gabriel Jesus just before Leandro Trossard scored the third goal.
The Spanish goalkeeper’s overarm launch to the Brazilian was impeccably timed and executed, earning him additional acclaim.
This play showcased Arsenal’s complete control of the game and emphasized yet another dimension to their already abundant array of offensive options.
“There’s been a few ways this season that we countered from the goalkeeper, so it was a nice one to score,” he said. “I think we had a chance before when I played it to Kai Havertz and we didn’t penalise them with a shot on target and the next one obviously, Leo did everything that he could to score the goal and there was a third and from there we didn’t look back.
“We went for another one and another one. So it was a it was a good break point too, because we were a little bit on the pressure as well at that point and if they scored one goal it’s 2-1 and it is a bit of a different game.”
Raya appears highly likely to maintain his position in goal, although the ongoing discussion regarding his partnership with Aaron Ramsdale persists.
Nonetheless, his recent performance has certainly quelled some of the debates, at least for the week. He will have another opportunity to demonstrate why he holds the No.1 spot when Arsenal faces Nottingham Forest in their upcoming away match a week from Tuesday.
David Raya reveals Dubai secret to Gabriel Magalhaes’ Arsenal goal after reworked corner routine