Raya makes bold Champions League claim after heroic Sporting display

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David Raya believes Arsenal can “100 per cent” win the Champions League after his heroic performance helped secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in their quarter-final first leg.

The Spanish goalkeeper delivered a man-of-the-match display in Lisbon, making several stunning saves to keep the score level before Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner gave the Gunners a slender advantage heading into the second leg at Emirates Stadium.

Raya was particularly impressive with an early save to deny Maxi Araujo, followed by two crucial late interventions that proved vital in Arsenal’s victory. The clean sheet was his 22nd across 41 matches this season – four more than any other goalkeeper across Europe’s top five leagues.

Confidence despite recent setbacks

Speaking after the match, Raya expressed unwavering belief in Arsenal’s Champions League prospects despite their recent cup defeats to Manchester City and Southampton, where he was benched for both fixtures.

“We believe 100 per cent that we can win it,” Raya told Amazon Prime. “We have to go step-by-step and game-by-game and keep showing what we can do.”

The 28-year-old emphasized the importance of maintaining belief regardless of circumstances. “If you don’t believe, you are never going to win it, so you have to keep believing no matter what you go through,” he added.

Raya acknowledged the recent disappointments but highlighted how the team has used those setbacks as motivation. “We came from two losses, we had to learn from that and use the pain in our belly to express ourselves and be better every single day.”

Havertz echoes ambition

Havertz, who came off the bench to score his fourth goal of the season, shared similar optimism about Arsenal’s prospects. The German striker has been limited to just 16 appearances this campaign due to injury concerns.

“We still can make something happen this year. It can be something very special,” Havertz said. “That’s what we’re going to go for and now it’s time to win games.”

The victory puts Arsenal in a strong position ahead of the return leg at Emirates Stadium, as they bid to reach a second consecutive Champions League semi-final for the first time in the club’s history. With Raya’s exceptional form between the posts and renewed confidence throughout the squad, the north London side will be optimistic about progressing to the final four of Europe’s premier competition.