David Raya described Arsenal reaching the Champions League final as a “dream come true” after Mikel Arteta’s side beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Raya kept another clean sheet on a night when Arsenal had to manage the tie carefully after taking the lead. Atletico pushed after the break and created one major opening when Giuliano Simeone rounded the Arsenal goalkeeper, only for Gabriel to recover with a crucial intervention.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Raya said Arsenal’s run to the final reflected the level they have shown throughout the competition.
“It's a dream come true,” Raya said. “Especially from it's been 20 years since this club played the final and I'm just looking forward to it.
“The way we did it, the way we competed every single game in the Champions League is incredible. So, it's a remarkable achievement.”
The Spain international also praised the Emirates atmosphere, with Arsenal supporters greeting the team coach before kick-off and maintaining the noise throughout one of the biggest European nights in the stadium’s history.
“I have never seen the Emirates like this, especially on the way to the ground,” Raya said. “So, credit to the fans. We have to thank them a lot.
“They were right behind us and they gave us that extra energy that we needed. We needed this place rocking and they did. It was so, so special to play in front of these fans.”
Saka’s goal proved the difference, with the winger reacting quickest after Jan Oblak parried Leandro Trossard’s effort. The England international had recently been managing an Achilles issue, but he has returned at a crucial stage of the season and scored in back-to-back games.
Raya said Saka’s return has lifted both the team and the supporters.
“Talking about Bukayo, it's so, so, so good to have him back,” Raya said. “We know how important it is, not just for the team, for the fans to have him back.
“Especially scoring at the weekend and scoring today the winner to get us through to the Champions League final, it couldn't be any better that it was him to send this club to the final.”
Arsenal will now wait to discover whether they face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final, but Raya made clear that Arteta’s side cannot allow their focus to drift too far ahead.
“Of course, we love watching the Champions League and especially we're going to face one of those teams,” he said.
“Obviously we're going to watch the game now. We have to focus on ourselves, focus on Sunday, which we have a really, really important game against West Ham. Time to enjoy tonight and start thinking about Sunday.”
For Arsenal, the night brought history, release and another clean sheet in Europe. For Raya, it was confirmation of the scale of the achievement. Arsenal are back in the Champions League final, and they got there with the defensive control that has shaped so much of their season.