Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were far from their best performance against Atalanta but praised David Raya for his brilliant double save from Mateo Retegui’s second-half penalty to rescue a point in Arsenal’s first Champions League game.

The Spaniard provided the match’s standout moment three minutes into the second half, having consulted with Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña before taking the penalty. While Arteta said he was pleased with the impact Raya had made since joining from Brentford last season, he was adamant Arsenal needed to improve for Sunday’s match against Manchester City.

“We lost a lot of easy balls,” he said. “But we didn’t suffer defensively. That’s the reality. Then, at that moment, I saw two of the best saves of my career from David.”

Asked if the departure of his rival Aaron Ramsdale had given Raya more confidence, he added: “That’s a question for him. Last year was definitely very impressive. Even in this other context, of course. This season he has been exceptional. His saves against Villa and today kept us in the game. That’s what you need from a goalkeeper at this level. I’m really happy that he’s in this form at the moment.”

Raya revealed that he took the opportunity to speak to Caña when the video assistant referee was reviewing referee Clément Turpin’s decision.

“I spoke to the goalkeeping coach to get a better feel for what I should and shouldn’t do,” he said. “He helped me a lot in every way, so credit goes to him. He does all the work. I was lucky to save the ball properly. I was unlucky that the rebound fell to him, but I was quick enough to get up and save the rebound. It’s fantastic to have saved it and got a point for the team.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini was also surprised by the quality of his save. “He’s a real guy. The first save is good, but the rebound is incredible,” he said. “I think the goalkeeper was decisive. I feel sorry for Mateo because I think this is his best performance since he’s been with us.”