Arsenal’s David Raya hits back at ‘boring’ label as Arteta defends side’s style of play

David Raya says he does not care if rival supporters call Arsenal “boring” as his manager, Mikel Arteta, insisted that critics of the team’s style were only a “very small minority”.

Arsenal made it 10 wins out of 11 in all competitions for the season when they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground on Sunday. But it was a day when Noni Madueke’s late goal papered over a flat and one-paced performance. Arteta admitted his players had to be better in attacking terms and the discussion over how they are able to get the job done has tracked them to Germany where they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

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Raya sought to cut through the external noise when he was asked whether the criticism irritated him and his teammates. “No it doesn’t,” the goalkeeper said. “People have their own opinions. We have our own opinion. At the end of the day, we have lost one game in 11 this season and if you call that boring or irritating … I don’t know what to say. We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches and that’s the most important thing.”

Arteta is focused on the glamour tie against Bayern, who will be without the suspended Michael Olise and might not have their manager, Vincent Kompany, in the dugout. He has been laid low by a viral infection that has also affected his legs. Arteta’s attitude to those who throw stones in Arsenal’s direction is that there will always be gripes about every club.

“If you analyse all the top teams in England and I go: ‘OK, what are they talking about?’ They all have a list [of things about them],” he said. “None of us are perfect and thank God that we are not perfect and we can still improve, even though we have won the amount of games we have done because otherwise the next day, what do you do? You just expect to be better than the opponent and that’s it. Especially in the Premier League, we know that is very far from the reality.”

Arteta sought to introduce a note of levity. “I don’t have that impression [about there being a debate over Arsenal’s style] because I heard it was incredible,” he said. “Because we scored so many goals, we have more possession, more shots, different players participating, no goals from set pieces … so the story is completely different to last year. I think we are talking about a very small minority and the other ones they know they have enjoyed a lot the way we have played and dominated games this year. We have proven that, so that’s my opinion.”

Arteta knows that Bayern will bring the game to Arsenal; perhaps it will be a relief not to face low-block opponents and it might allow his team to be more expansive.

“We know the kind of game that we’re going to play,” he said. “Both teams are very clear on that and we experienced that at the Emirates [last season, when Arsenal won 3-1]. It’s going to be a very similar one in many moments. A low block demands a different kind of game to a high block, to a team that is constantly putting the ball in the last line. But still on Sunday, I think we could have done things better and that’s in our hands. We need to recognise that openly, as well.”

Arteta is never short of intensity or motivation and he went back to last season’s Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties to illustrate how wildly the fire burns inside of him.

“I tried [to get over it] but I haven’t managed to,” he said. “I tried for many weeks during the summer but when I see the ball, the scenes, I hear the music, I want it so badly. We know that we have to go step by step but I think that fire is within the team and all of us individually. We know what we had to go through – not being champions of Europe by a penalty. So, let’s try again.”

Raya remembered how Arsenal had only 28% of the ball against PSG but he feels they are better equipped to enjoy greater control against the elite. “I think so,” he said. “You have to see that in perspective, as well. It was our first Champions League final in so many years, we score in the fifth minute and you sit back a little bit knowing how good they are offensively. We didn’t want to give anything away. It is different now. You can see the way we play. You can see different type of ways of playing that we have. We are more prepared this year than last year.”

Kompany is touch and go to make the game. He was unable to attend Bayern’s training session on Tuesday while he ceded the responsibility of the pre-match press conference to his assistant, Aaron Danks.

Kompany had struggled through the 6-1 home win over RB ­Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday – after which the club’s sporting director, Max Eberl, addressed the media instead of him. There have been reports in Germany that Kompany needed to lie down on his sofa at home after the Leipzig game and that the infection had affected an existing hip problem which meant he could hardly walk.

“It has affected his legs at times,” Danks said. “He’s felt some pain in his legs. I’m not sure about the reports about him lying down on the couch. I think we can all have a lie down on the couch after a game. It’s just a virus. The doctors and experts know way more than I do. The most important thing we have encouraged is that he rests; he takes the time he needs – however long that may be.

“Unfortunately, I can’t give you any more – whether that’s tomorrow or whether that’s two or three days’ time. I don’t know.We just take it day by day and see how he is. Getting Vince to rest is a challenge. You know him as a person. He’s a real leader. He works hard.”

Danks will take charge of the team against Arsenal if Kompany cannot make it, just as he did last season during the epic Champions League semi-final, first leg against PSG when Kompany was suspended. PSG won 5-4 at the Parc des Princes that night before progressing 6-5 on aggregate.

Birmingham-born Danks, who briefly took caretaker charge of Aston Villa in 2022 and has coached at various clubs including Anderlecht and Middlesbrough, said he would be in communication with Kompany “in some shape or form” if the manager was not able to come to the stadium.