Raya says Champions League final pain is driving Arsenal

David Raya says Arsenal are drawing motivation from the pain of losing the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties as they pursue another European campaign. The Spain goalkeeper said the responsibility now rests with the team to turn that disappointment into something better, according to The Guardian Sport.

Raya helped Arsenal hold off Slavia Prague on Wednesday, producing an outstanding save as Mikel Arteta’s side moved to third in the Champions League standings. Arsenal have 10 points from four matches, giving their current campaign a strong opening while the memory of their final defeat remains part of the backdrop.

The goalkeeper described Arsenal’s response to that setback in terms of collective responsibility, saying it was “on us to make it better this year”. His comments place the emphasis on what the players can do now, rather than on a result they can no longer change or a disappointment they can simply put aside.

The defeat by Paris Saint-Germain came in a penalty shootout, leaving Arsenal to absorb the frustration of losing a final decided from the spot. Raya’s remarks suggest the experience remains a source of motivation for the squad, although that determination alone offers no guarantee of a different outcome in their latest attempt.

Against Slavia Prague, his contribution was more immediate: a decisive intervention that helped Arsenal hold off their opponents. The Guardian’s account highlighted the quality of the save, connecting Raya’s reflections on the team’s European ambitions with his role in helping secure their position in the current league standings after four matches.

Raya also credited self-belief as a key factor in making important saves. That explanation puts confidence at the centre of his account of goalkeeping under pressure, alongside the broader message that Arsenal must respond positively to disappointment. His comments concerned both his own interventions and the team’s responsibility to improve on their previous European finish.

Arsenal’s standing provides an encouraging early measure of their progress, but it is distinct from the challenge of reaching another final. Third place and 10 points reflect their work across the opening four matches; Raya’s remarks address the longer ambition of making this campaign better than the one that ended in a shootout defeat.

The task ahead is to build on that start while translating the motivation Raya described into further performances. His message was forward-looking rather than a prediction of success: Arsenal cannot alter the final against Paris Saint-Germain, but the goalkeeper says they are using its painful outcome to push themselves in the campaign now under way.