In the first round of the Champions League away match against Atlanta, Arsenal drew 0-0. After the match, Arsenal manager Arteta attended the press conference and commented on his team's performance, with special mention of goalkeeper Raya's excellent play.
Expectations for the team's second half performance
Arteta said that his team played well in the opening stages and managed to decipher Atlanta's tactics in the first 25 minutes, but failed to create many chances. Arsenal then lost control of the game, and possession became erratic, leading to struggles in offensive and defensive transitions. Although there were no losses on the defensive end, the team's overall performance was inconsistent and lacked a threatening offense. Arteta pointed out that the team still needs to improve a lot, especially in terms of ball control and creating chances.
Excellent performance by Raya.
Arteta spoke highly of goalkeeper Raya's play. He believes that Raya has shown impressive strength last season and has been even better this season. In the matches against Villa and Atalanta, Raya's saves helped his team keep the draw. Arteta said that Raya's current form is excellent and is an indispensable part of the team. When asked if he thinks Raya is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Arteta said he has not paid attention to the performance of other goalkeepers, but Raya is undoubtedly extraordinarily good for Arsenal.
Lessons learned from Porto
Arteta also mentioned last season's Champions League match at Porto, arguing that the team learned a lesson from that game. In this match, Arsenal held on to the draw in the final moments, which to some extent reflects the team's maturity and discipline at the defensive end. However, Arteta also emphasized that this was not the message he wanted to convey to the team. He wants the team to find a way to win the game rather than just being satisfied with not losing.
