Glenn Murray believes David Raya had his worst performance for Arsenal in the team’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday. This defeat marked Mikel Arteta’s side’s first Premier League loss of the season and came after they were reduced to ten men in the first half due to William Saliba’s red card.
Key Match Events
Bournemouth took the lead in the 70th minute, thanks to a well-executed corner routine by Ryan Christie. Soon after, Raya was penalized for bringing down Evanilson inside the box, allowing Justin Kluivert to convert the penalty and double the hosts’ lead.
Despite being one of Arsenal’s standout players this season, Murray felt Raya was “very under par” against Bournemouth.
“From the off, they weren’t quite pressing Bournemouth. They didn’t have the same energy or life about them,” Murray told Premier League Productions. “Their mentality under Arteta is something I’ve praised a lot, but that wasn’t his squad tonight; it felt like Arsenal of old.”
Raya’s Performance
Murray pointed out that Raya made several uncharacteristic errors during the match, stating:
“He had some silly mistakes, kicking it out of play and poor passing. He just wasn’t quite at it. Don’t get me wrong, he made some big saves when needed, but it was a sloppy performance, something I haven’t really seen from him at Arsenal.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit echoed Murray’s sentiments, suggesting that the entire team lacked energy:
“They looked really tired, physically and mentally, from the start of the game. The rhythm, passing, aggressiveness, and pressure on the opponent were all missing. I didn’t see the quality from the Arsenal squad that we’ve come to expect.”
As Arsenal looks to rebound from this disappointing performance, questions remain about their consistency and readiness for upcoming challenges.