David Raya was not called into action too many times by Real Madrid as he had the best view in the house as he witnessed Arsenal earn a 3-0 lead after the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
The Spaniard was notably tested by Kylian Mbappe in the first-half but the Frenchman’s eventual effort was a tame one but for most of the contest, he was a mere spectator.
David Raya would not have been bored watching Declan Rice’s two free-kicks fly into the back of the net as well as fellow Spain and Arsenal teammate Mikel Merino score the third goal against Real Madrid as well.
Raya had full faith in Merino’s goalscoring abilities and he would have been especially delighted to see his fellow countryman get on the scoresheet against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
But Raya reserved special praise for Jakub Kiwior, who shone in an Arsenal shirt against Real Madrid on an unforgettable night in the Champions League for the Gunners.
- READ MORE: Spain’s media deliver their Jakub Kiwior verdict after watching Arsenal defender vs Kylian Mbappe
David Raya hails “top” Jakub Kiwior after Arsenal vs Real Madrid
Raya acknowledged that Kiwior had a task on his hands to keep a deadly Real Madrid attack quiet as he was replacing the injured Gabriel Magalhaes despite not having much game time under his belt.
But Kiwior fared well against Everton and Raya lauded how well he played against Real Madrid as well.
The former Brentford goalkeeper told beIN SPORTS: “He was top, we know how good he is, obviously the lack of games, sometimes, it can take you a few games to get going and his performance was top, he kept them quiet.”
“And [William] Saliba, [Jurrien] Timber and Myles [Lewis-Skelly], I think they did a terrific job.”
How Jakub Kiwior feels about Arsenal exit after Real Madrid clash
TBR Football exclusively revealed that Kiwior wishes to leave Arsenal despite playing a key role against Los Merengues.
Bayer Leverkusen enquired about signing Kiwior, who proved his value against Los Merengues. Even Napoli are keen on Kiwior’s addition as he looked the part at the highest level on Tuesday.
Raya seems to be a huge admirer of Kiwior and he will be disappointed to see him depart Arsenal but the players and the fans will appreciate how solid he was against Real Madrid.
