Raya proves his worth again

The debate surrounding Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's seemingly brutal decision to ditch England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and replace him with David Raya seemed an age away at Villa Park on Saturday.

Since last season's early uncertainty, which raised questions about whether Arteta had acted in haste by bringing in the Brentford goalkeeper, Spain international Raya has proven himself to be an integral part of Arsenal's ambitions to win the Premier League.

And in one miraculous moment at Villa Park, when Raya somehow recovered his position from the foot of his post to save Ollie Watkins' diving header, he proved his worth once more.

The score was 0-0 after 54 minutes and Aston Villa were on top, but Raya's save appeared to deflate Unai Emery's side, leaving Arsenal to strike through Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey to secure a crucial win.

It was not simply that Arsenal won at Villa - who will join them in the Champions League this season - the victory also carried psychological worth, as it ended the curse put on them last season when the league double, inflicted by former manager Unai Emery, caused such damage to their title ambitions.

Arsenal were not at their best but they won - and that is exactly what those with hopes of claiming the big prizes need to do.