David Raya was given a rare start for Spain against Czechia, but the Arsenal goalkeeper endured an uncomfortable evening despite a 3-1 win.
David Raya endured a difficult night despite Spain beating Czechia 3-1 on Saturday, with the goalkeeper unable to reproduce the level of performance he has regularly shown for Arsenal.
Before the match, Raya had started only 13 games for his country. His latest opportunity to press his case for the No 1 shirt did not go smoothly, with several errors leaving Unai Simon’s position as Luis de la Fuente’s favourite looking secure.
Spain dominated for long periods, giving Raya relatively little to do, but when he was called upon there were a few problems, to put it mildly.
Three minutes after Czechia had scored to make it 2-1, Raya produced a poor clearance which went straight to an opposition player. With the goalkeeper out of position, Czechia had the chance to equalise from range into an empty net, only for poor finishing to spare the Arsenal man.
Seven minutes later, Raya was even more fortunate.
He opted to parry a ball rather than catch it and risk carrying it over the line. The rebound dropped to a Czechia player, who finished from about a yard out.
VAR, however, intervened after spotting a foul near the edge of the penalty area in the build-up and the goal was ruled out.
It was an unusually uncomfortable performance from Raya, particularly given the consistency he has shown in an Arsenal shirt over the past few seasons.
Mikel Merino, introduced in the 67th minute, ensured Spain finished the night comfortably by scoring in the 89th minute.
It was Merino’s 13th goal for his country and sealed the 3-1 victory, bringing a positive end to a night in which Raya had been given a rare international start but struggled to make the most of it.
Martin Zubimendi also made an appearance, replacing Rodri after 77 minutes.
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