UCL: Raya’s heroic saves earn Arsenal draw against Atalanta

David Raya‘s goalkeeping brilliance ensured Arsenal held Atalanta to a 0-0 draw on Thursday in their UEFA Champions League match in Bergamo.

Raya delivered a stunning double save to deny Mateo Retegui from the penalty spot and then from the rebound early in the second half, preserving the draw in a red-hot atmosphere.

Missing key playmaker Martin Odegaard due to a serious ankle injury, Arsenal struggled to create clear chances after a bright start. Although solid defensively, the Premier League side lacked creativity and never truly looked like securing all three points.

Arsenal’s upcoming clash against title rivals Manchester City on Sunday will demand a much sharper performance than the one seen in northern Italy.

Atalanta, Europa League holders, enjoyed the better of a cagey match with limited goalmouth action. They will take confidence from their performance in their first Champions League outing since 2021.

Arsenal dominated the early exchanges and came close to opening the scoring in the 13th minute, only to be thwarted by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. The Italian pulled off a brilliant double save, first tipping Bukayo Saka’s free-kick around the post before quickly denying Thomas Partey on the follow-up.

Atalanta eventually found their rhythm, but their first real opportunity came nearly half an hour in when Charles De Ketelaere fired over from a Mateo Retegui pass.

The hosts had a golden opportunity to take the lead shortly after half-time when Ederson was fouled by Partey in the box. However, Raya stepped up with a remarkable penalty save, diving the right way to deny Retegui, before pulling off another miraculous stop to keep out Retegui’s rebound header.

As the match wore on, both sides seemed content with a draw. Atalanta’s Juan Cuadrado came closest to breaking the deadlock, sending two long-range efforts narrowly off target in the final stages.
Raya’s exceptional goalkeeping performance proved decisive, helping Arsenal earn a point in their Champions League opener.