Player ratings as David Raya saves penalty in tame draw

Arsenal could only manage a goalless draw from their opening Champions League encounter of the 2024/25 season against Atalanta.

After a goalless first half in northern Italy, it was Gunners goalkeeper David Raya who made the difference after the break when he produced an excellent double save from Mateo Retegui’s penalty.

Arsenal kept last season’s Europa League winners at bay for large periods but couldn’t create much themselves, ultimately settling for a point on their first European excursion of the new campaign.

How the game unfolded

After a mature and efficient performance on the road in the north London derby, Arsenal were never likely to be overawed in the opening stages at the Gewiss Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s side dominated the early proceedings in Bergamo, with Bukayo Saka’s driven free kick almost handing them the lead.

Despite Arsenal’s territorial dominance and measured approach, they struggled to break down an Atalanta side that defended man-for-man across the pitch. The Italian outfit started to build in confidence as the minutes passed and created their first real opening on the half-hour mark as Charles De Ketelaere fired wide from the edge of the box.

A first half for the purists drew to a muted close as Atalanta and Arsenal cancelled one another out. However, after seeing how the Serie A side dismantled Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in last season’s Europa League, Arteta would have been pleased with his side’s composure in a difficult environment.

Arteta’s contentment was short-lived in the second half, however, with Thomas Partey gifting the hosts a penalty two minutes after the restart. But the Ghanaian midfielder was bailed out by his goalkeeper Raya, who produced an excellent penalty save and an even better stop from the rebound to deny Retegui.

Atalanta didn’t let the missed penalty dent their spirits and they continued to increase their intensity in the final third. Substitute Juan Cuadrado was next to threaten Raya’s goal but the former Chelsea man curled a 20-yard effort just over the Arsenal crossbar.

Raheem Sterling was introduced in the closing stages as Arsenal looked to steal victory and the loanee made an immediate impact. His neat through ball set Gabriel Martinelli up with 15 minutes to play but the Brazilian cannoned his close-range effort over the crossbar.

However, neither side could make the all-important breakthrough as the clock ticked down, with both teams seemingly happy to accept a point from their first Champions…