My heart almost stopped but David’s hands were there to get it back to life.
That was the brilliant line from Mikel Arteta after Arsenal FC’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea FC on Sunday, March 1, 2026 — as reported by Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle.
Softfootball can confirm that Arteta heaped praise on goalkeeper David Raya following his outstanding display at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League.
Arsenal secured back-to-back league wins but were far from their fluent best. The breakthrough came from a set piece, with William Saliba finishing at the far post after a clever assist from Gabriel Magalhaes. Jurrien Timber later struck the decisive winner from a cross delivered by Declan Rice.
Despite the goals, Arsenal had to dig deep. Raya produced four sublime saves, including a world-class fingertip stop in stoppage time to deny Alejandro Garnacho, whose dangerous cross nearly crept in.
Speaking post-match, Arteta admitted the Gunners should not have been clinging on but described Raya’s late intervention as “fabulous.” In his press conference, he explained:
The save that he made in the last action – it’s a cross, it’s not a shot, but it ended up being an unbelievable shot. I got the right angle, and my heart almost stopped, but David’s hand was there to get it back to life.
Raya’s performance marked a strong response after recent scrutiny. He had nearly gifted a goal to Brentford before redeeming himself with a fine stop to deny Igor Thiago.
He was also criticised after errors in their 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers and in the win at Tottenham Hotspur, where he might have prevented Randal Kolo Muani’s goal.
However, against Chelsea, the Spaniard delivered one of his best displays of the season. Although an unfortunate own goal from Piero Hincapie denied him a clean sheet, Raya’s heroics ensured Arsenal claimed three vital points in a tense London derby.
