Arsenal legend, Paul Merson has hit out at David Raya, insisting that the goalkeeper sold manager Mikel Arteta ‘up the river’ following his recent mistake in the Gunners’ Premier League 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.
Arteta’s decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Raya, who joined Arsenal from Brentford has come under the microscope in recent weeks with the Spanish keeper having committed a number of high-profile errors.
Raya was again at fault when he flapped at Joe Willock’s cross which led to Anthony Gordon’s highly controversial winner for Newcastle last weekend.
After the game, Arteta was furious during his post-match interview, claiming it was embarrassing that Gordon’s goal which had been subject to three different VAR checks was allowed to stand.
However, Merson has now blamed Raya for his failure to catch Willock’s cross.
“Mikel Arteta has gone mad at the end of the day his goalkeeper has sold him up the river.The goalkeeper should catch that every day of the week,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“If you see his position he’s two yards in front of the front post when he crosses the ball. Any other day of the week a goalie comes out, catches that and throws it out to his full-back.
“It’s just covered over, it is unbelievable.
“If you watch his positional play, I’m not a goalkeeper but I played with two of the best you will ever see in David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel the positional play there was unbelievable.
“It was not even a great cross it was middle of the goal.”
