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  "path": "/2026/04/08/sporting-manager-claims-arsenal-star-was-best-player-pitch-champions-league-defeat-27891262/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-07T23:43:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Champions League",
    "David Raya",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Premier League",
    "Sporting Lisbon",
    "Viktor Gyokeres",
    "Kai Havertz",
    "Emirates",
    "Sign up to our daily football newsletter",
    "since his £64.8m move to Arsenal last summer",
    "check our sport page",
    "Facebook",
    "Twitter",
    "Instagram",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Rui Borges hailed David Raya after Sporting CP’s defeat to Arsenal (UEFA via Getty)\n\nSporting CP head coach Rui Borges hailed David Raya as ‘the best player on the pitch’ after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday night.\n\nKai Havertz’s goal in injury time sealed a late victory for Mikel Arteta’s side in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.\n\nBut the Gunners needed an excellent performance from Raya to keep a clean sheet as the Spaniard made several fine saves to keep Sporting at bay.\n\nRaya was named UEFA’s Player of the Match for his display and Borges agrees that the Arsenal goalkeeper was the game’s standout star.\n\n‘Yes, I would say David Raya that was the best player on the pitch today because we had some really, really good chances to score but he made some superb saves,’ Borges told Prime Video.\n\n‘Our goalkeeper Rui [Silva] wasn’t overly troubled and it was a pretty equal game at the Emirates.’\n\nDavid Raya was named UEFA’s Player Of The Match in Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Sporting CP (UEFA via Getty)\n\n##  Get personalised football updates every day\n\nSign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more about your favourite team.\n\nMeanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres was given a warm ovation by Sporting’s fans following the first game against his former club since his £64.8m move to Arsenal last summer.\n\nAsked about his interaction with Gyokeres after the final whistle, Borges said: ‘I just asked if they were okay, if his family was okay. That I was happy for him.\n\nViktor Gyokeres was applauded off the pitch by Sporting CP suporters (PA)\n\n‘He deserves recognition, he helped me immensely to become national champion, he gave everything while he was here, he made history at Sporting and in the Portuguese championship, and he’s always welcome. He deserves to be applauded.’\n\nSporting’s 21-year-old forward Rafael Nel also paid tribute to Gyokeres after the match.\n\n‘Gyokeres said a few words. He was happy for me and I’m happy for him,’ Nel said.\n\n‘He’s an idol to me, I’ll see him next week and we’ll play the game with everything we’ve got. We have nothing to fear, the team is confident and we’ll play well there.’\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Sporting manager claims Arsenal star ‘was the best player on the pitch’ after Champions League defeat"
}