'The rest of the squad must now follow Raya's lead'

Manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that as Alejandro Garnacho's cross drifted towards the far corner of David Raya's goal during stoppage time on Sunday, his "heart almost stopped".

Thankfully, the Arsenal goalkeeper's hand was there to "bring it back to life".

It was a stop that no doubt saved Arsenal the embarrassment of having dropped more points from a winning position. But it also represented a definitive line in the sand for Raya, who has faced some criticism over the past few weeks.

A number of uncharacteristic lapses in concentration had threatened to derail if not destroy Arsenal's title chances.

These were most evident in the draw at Wolves where a miscommunication between the Spaniard and defender Gabriel led to the late equaliser.

It was an echo of a similar mistake earlier in the season away at Sunderland, where a mix-up allowed Brian Brobbey to snatch a last-minute point for the Black Cats.

On Sunday, Raya was imperious. If Arsenal are to find the form that is required to hold off a menacing-looking Manchester City, the rest of the squad must now follow their goalkeeper's lead.

Some of Arsenal's outfield players have looked weary of late, leading to a manic last 20 minutes against Chelsea despite having a man advantage.

But the entire squad must now follow their goalkeeper's lead by shaking off some of these errors and rediscovering some stability.

Raya has now emerged from his own difficult patch to produce a performance that earned Arsenal a crucial three points.

He has set the standard. The rest of the squad must now follow.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast