The pressure that the Sunderland team produced in the depth of the top of the Premier League match scheduled on Saturday afternoon caused many problems for the defense of Arsenal, and was so great that it was visible they would score a goal until the match finished at least once. They were close to scoring — it looked like an equalizer was coming — and indeed, Brian Brobbey stretched his leg and scored the goal, avoiding Gabriel and sending the ball past David Raya from just a few meters out.
The clear David Raya mistake – Cost Arsenal points
The situation was completely out of Raya’s control, and it looked terrible for him. It happened inside his box; he was not ready, not positioned well, and couldn’t react in time.
Gabriel’s ridicule and complaining
Gabriel, on the other hand, wasn’t prepared to stop Brobbey’s great run and attempt, as the striker threw himself into the goalkeeper’s space to score. Gabriel was visibly frustrated afterward and appealed for the goal to be disallowed, claiming that it was “too acrobatic” because Brobbey raised his leg too high when striking the ball — near head height — to score.
He received plenty of embarrassment for that claim from the broadcast commentators and was heavily booed by the fans at the Stadium of Light. It’s football — you score with your leg; that’s the game. “Stop him, referee!” they shouted ironically. “It’s not allowed to score goals in football!”
The reaction of David Raya suggests he is still the weakest piece of the puzzle for this team. Raya has a softer constitution and is not catching the balls well when they come from different angles in Premier League games. He is not a master of handling or commanding his penalty area. He also lacks consistency in making big saves and maintaining composure. Raya could cost Arsenal dearly — as he did today — and might hurt them further in the Champions League and in the long run. His mistake has cost them a clear point and is yet to be tested in Arsenal’s goal.
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