David Raya reveals what Mikel Arteta said to him after huge Arsenal error in North London Derby

David Raya has revealed what Mikel Arteta said to him at full time after Arsenal's 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.

The Gunners had been cruising after taking a 3-0 lead in the first half courtesy of an own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and strikes from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. Just after the hour mark, though, Raya inexplicably presented the ball to Cristian Romero to offer Spurs a route back in to the game.

That set up a nervy finish to the game, particularly after Son Heung-min's late penalty. Arsenal though were able to hold on for a crucial three points that keeps the pressure on Manchester City for the Premier League run in.

Despite the error that almost sparked a potentially devastating comeback for Spurs, Arteta could be seen in a lengthy embrace with Raya after the full time whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

«It's part of football,» the Arsenal boss said of the mistake in his post-match press conference. «What I love is that David does that, he picks his hands up, which are quite heavy, and he was sensational for the last 20 or 25 minutes of the game. This is what I love about our players.»

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Speaking to reporters after the game, Raya echoed these sentiments, choosing instead to focus on the positives of the closing stages of the match, rather than his mistake. «What he said was just about the character that I showed after the mistake,» Raya said when asked what his manager had said on the pitch. «I thought I was mentally very strong and I just forgot about the mistake, I just carried on playing