David Raya's stunning save to deny Brighton an equaliser on Saturday could be a pivotal moment in Arsenal's Premier League title charge, according to Paul Merson. The Gunners moved back to the top of the table with a 2-1 win over Brighton, and the former Arsenal star believes the Spanish goalkeeper's intervention may be remembered as a season-defining moment.
Arsenal led 2-0 through Martin Odegaard's strike and a Georginio Rutter own goal, but Diego Gomez pulled one back for the visitors. In the 77th minute, Raya produced a world-class save to tip Yankuba Minteh's curling effort over the bar, preserving Arsenal's lead. Merson, speaking on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday, said: 'I shouted goal, it was a goal, but all of a sudden Raya comes from nowhere... It is an unbelievable save. If Arsenal go on and win the title, we will have to go back to the Raya save.'
Gabriel Jesus, who returned from an 11-month injury lay-off, praised the impact of fellow Brazilian Gabriel Magalhaes, who came off the bench after a spell on the sidelines. 'As everyone could see, it changed our back line when he came on... he is a leader, he is a beast at defending. It is a massive, massive boost for us that he is coming back,' Jesus said. He also reflected on his own return: 'I'm happy that I have come back strong... It was scary to come back, I was afraid that I would have limitations. Everyone knows how tough it is to play in the Premier League... It's amazing to be [top] and chasing the Premier League.'
The win moved Arsenal two points above Manchester City at the summit, adding extra significance to Raya's stop. Merson emphasised: 'Nine times out of 10, that's a goal. That's massive for me. A massive, massive save.'
