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‘We tried to’… Rob Edwards admits his side targeted £30m Arsenal player last night
After an often unsettled evening for Arsenal against Luton Town last night, Rob Edwards has now made an interesting admission.
The Luton manager was speaking to the likes of Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer during after the game.
And when asked, Edwards did admit that his Luton side planned to target Arsenal’s David Raya, trying to make it an uncomfortable evening.
Moreover, they were certainly rewarded for their diligent planning with three goals, even if they failed to match their attacking efforts in defence.
Asked if Luton targeted Raya, : “We tried to, like I said, we wanted to make it uncomfortable for them, as uncomfortable as possible.
“We’re probably going to have to be slightly different away from home when we play them again, but here, we’ve got to use this place as a bit of a leveller, and try to make these teams, the top, they’re excellent, to not give them the game they want.”
Of course, Mikel Arteta will now be wary of teams doing the same in future.
Raya endured a very difficult night, one he can ill afford with Aaron Ramsdale waiting on the sidelines.
Rob Edwards admits his Luton side did target Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya
That being said, it still would be a surprise if Ramsdale returned to the number one spot for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Arteta claims to have two keepers in fierce competition, but Raya is evidently being given an extended chance to take the starting spot.
Logic would dictate a switch, but Arteta has been known to stick to his convictions.
Aaron Ramsdale is a fine goalkeeper, something that makes the situation even more surprising.
But Raya’s mistakes really were worrying ones, signs that he is understandably feeling the pressure.
Although, this must be a situation that Arteta envisioned when making the signing.
Raya will improve for Arsenal, and not every side will be able to deploy a plan as successfully as Edward’s Luton.
But the pressure is now only going to become more intense.
Thankfully, Arsenal’s attacking play was able to bail the keeper out on this occasion.
And Alan Shearer was simply amazed by the performance of one £50m player.