Crystal Palace capitalized on a key tactical weakness in Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya’s positioning during their 2-2 draw at the Emirates on Wednesday night. Despite Arsenal taking the lead twice, first through Jakub Kiwior and later Leandro Trossard, Palace pulled level each time, with Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta netting for the visitors.
Mateta’s stunning equalizer in the 83rd minute came after a giveaway by Arsenal’s William Saliba. The Palace striker managed a brilliant chipped effort that caught Raya out of position, as the goalkeeper was far from his line. This moment of vulnerability was the result of a pre-match strategy from Palace, as manager Oliver Glasner revealed.
“We showed the players in our preparations that David Raya tends to play high off his line,” Glasner explained after the match. “It was the third time we saw this situation during the game – the first time, Justin Devenny missed it, and we didn’t capitalize. But the third time, Mateta took his chance perfectly.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher weighed in on the goal, pointing out that Raya’s failure to retreat to his goal left Arsenal exposed. “Raya is part of the back four when necessary, but as soon as Martin Ødegaard drops into a centre-back role, Raya needs to get back in his goal. There’s no need for him to be that far off his line at that moment, and it cost Arsenal,” Carragher said.
The match’s outcome also had broader implications for the Premier League title race. Arsenal’s draw means Liverpool will be crowned champions if they earn at least a point in their upcoming match against Tottenham.
Despite the disappointment for Arsenal, the game showcased the growing tactical awareness of their opponents, with Palace fully exploiting Raya’s positioning flaw.