Atalanta vs Arsenal LIVE: Champions League result and final score as David Raya makes stunning double save
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal: The goalkeeper produced a magical moment as the Gunners claimed a point away to the Europa League winners
David Raya made a stunning double save to keep out a second-half penalty as Arsenal held Atalanta to a 0-0 draw to begin their Champions League campaign in Italy.
Raya saved Mateo Retegui’s spot-kick down low to his right and then managed to scramble across the goal-line and keep out the Atalanta forward’s header from close range.
The Spanish goalkeeper was mobbed by his Arsenal team-mates for producing the sensational double stop, after Thomas Partey conceded the penalty for a clip on Atalana’s Ederson.
In a contest of few chances, Gabriel Martinelli blazed Arsenal’s best opportunity over the crossbar following a pass from Raheem Sterling as the Gunners were unable to find the breakthrough.
Bukayo Saka forced a good save from Marco Carnesecchi with a low free-kick early on before the Europa League champions took more control of the possession.
But a draw was a decent result for Arsenal, who now travel to Manchester City on Sunday for a crunch clash of last season’s Premier League title rivals.
Follow all the reaction from the 0-0 draw in the Champions League and Raya’s double save, below
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
55 mins
Nice play from Arsenal as Saka leads the attack down the right before cutting the cross back, but it’s cleared at the last moment. Perhaps that penalty has injected some life into them too.
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
53 mins
Hopefully that’l be the injection of life that this game needed.
Atalanta come again, with De Ketelaere floating in a cross, but it’s headed away.
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
51 mins
Mateo Retegui steps up to take the spot-kick...and he’s missed it!
He takes an age with the run up and scuffs it low. Raya makes the save down to his right, and the ball lays up back into the path of the Italian. He nods it towards the net for what looks like a certain goal, but Raya scrambles across and gets a strong hand to it for the double save!
Brilliant from the Spaniard.
PENALTY TO ATALANTA! Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
47 mins
PENALTY!
Ederson nicks it past Partey and gets into the box, and is eventually clipped and dragged down by the Ghanaian. It’s being checked...
The initial pull looks like it was outside of the box, but the clip was definitely inside. Was it enough?
The decision stands!
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
46 mins
Arsenal with all the possession in the opening part of the second half.
KICK-OFF! Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
Atalanta get the second half started.
HALF-TIME! Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
Both teams are emerging from the tunnel ahead of the second half.
HALF-TIME! Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
A fairly interesting first half, but not one of the most entertaining. Arsenal controlled it in the first 20 or so minutes, but the home side grew into it and created more chances by the end.
All to play for in the second half, though the lack of jeopardy means that this result is fine for both teams. You could certainly see that in the first half.
HALF-TIME! Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
The referee blows the whistle for half-time in Bergamo.
Both sides are in the game after a first 45 that was intriguing, if a little uneventful. Bukayo Saka’s free-kick was the only notable chance of the half.
Surely better to come in the second half?
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