“Maturity and Desire” — Raya Reacts to Arsenal's Win at Forest

Raya hails Arsenal response against Nottingham Forest 

David Raya has hailed Arsenal's “incredible” response to last month's shock defeat to Brighton, as the Premier League champions made it three wins from three with a hard-fought victory at Nottingham Forest ahead of their trip to Bayern Munich.

“We came back very strong,” says Raya as he praises Arsenal's response to Brighton defeat...

David Raya has described Arsenal's response to last month's shock loss to Brighton as “incredible,” with the reigning Premier League champions winning three straight games since the international break.

Mikel Arteta's side, who travel to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, had plenty of time to reflect on the 3-0 defeat to Brighton.

Since regrouping after the break, Arsenal have won three out of three, with Noni Madueke's late strike sealing a 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

“We came back very, very strong, especially after that tough defeat against Brighton and having 19 days since then to play a game,” Raya told Arsenal's official website.

“The way we responded, the way we played, the way we came back, is incredible, you know.

“So, delighted with the performances we have put in every single game. There are things to improve, of course, as always, but we just take the positives, and we're looking forward to Wednesday now.”

The perfect end to an electric display ⚡️ Noni's Nottingham Forest highlights 🎞️ https://t.co/tJOSAnPOuI

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 19, 2026

Madueke's deflected effort in the 80th minute was Arsenal's only attempt on target at the City Ground, but the way they secured the win underlined their knack for grinding out results - a trait that was key to last season's title success.

“(We showed) maturity and a lot of desire,” Raya said. “Keep doing the right things and the ball will get into the net.”

“We had experiences in the last two years where we drew 0-0 here (Forest), so I think we showed a lot of character to keep digging for the result, and in the end with a few crosses and a few of Bukayo's (Saka's) balls, the ball went in thanks to Noni.

“He's a special player, and it's going to be a special goal for him to get the win at such a difficult ground and against such a difficult team. So, I'm delighted for him.”