Arsenal legend singles out one star who cost Arteta’s side in draw vs Sunderland | OneFootball

Arsenal legend David Seaman has questioned David Raya’s role in Sunderland’s second goal as the Gunners had to settle for a 2-2 draw on Sunday at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland took the lead in the first half through a brilliant touch and finish from centre-back Dan Ballard to give the Premier League leaders a fright.

Arsenal‘s quality showed in the second half as a lovely finish from Bukayo Saka got them back on level terms before Leandro Trossard scored a long-range stunner to give Mikel Arteta’s side the lead.

However, Sunderland still had time to sneak a point from the match as Brian Brobbey smashed home from close range to keep the newly-promoted side’s phenomenal start to the season going.

Brobbey outmuscled Gabriel Magalhaes inside the area before knocking it past the onrushing Raya, who attempted to catch the ball when he should have attempted to punch it away.

Seaman called out Raya for his mistake in post-match analysis for Premier League Productions: “Whether Raya should come, I’d question that. And the way he comes for the ball, he tries to catch it, is he aware of the guy [Brobbey] getting close?

“It’s a great finish by Brobbey but I would just question the decision of Raya, whether he should come and try to punch it, rather than try to catch it.”

On the game overall, Seaman added: “This was a difficult game, especially when you looked at it first half. It looked difficult, Sunderland were well-organised, and they knew exactly what they needed to do with Arsenal, hit it long, play in Arsenal’s half rather than play it out from the back.

“When they did play out from the back it cost them a goal. But Arsenal… they’re in a good position because this was a big test.”

Speaking after the match about the result, Arteta told a press conference: “The last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points. We had to navigate through a really tough game, we knew that.

“It was very disruptive; we have to deal with situations that are difficult to deal with. They did really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards, but after that I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage.

“They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal, we had totally dominated the game and then you have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there.

“It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better and today we haven’t done it; we conceded the goal. In the last minutes we had another massive chance with Richy and Mikel to win it, which I think we deserved to do, but it didn’t happen.

“I think it shows what we’ve done in the last 10 games, winning them in the manner that we’ve done it with clean sheets, missing seven players in the front line. So, it shows you how difficult it is.”