David Raya backs Arsenal teammate to bounce back in warning to Liverpool

Arsenal's goalkeeper David Raya is backing his teammate Leandro Trossard to bounce back against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday after a couple of recent setbacks.

The Belgian forward was blamed for William Saliba's dismissal at Bournemouth last weekend due to a sloppy back pass that allowed Evanilson to race behind the Frenchman before being brought down. Trossard also missed a penalty in Tuesday's narrow 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Despite these incidents, Raya remains confident in his Arsenal teammate's ability to recover. He said: "He has a great attitude, I don't think that's going to play on his mind. He's a top professional and a top lad. I really don't think that will affect him, he's just got to focus on doing the right things as it's just part of football.

• Martin Odegaard has noticed changes made by Arne Slot from Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool
• Arsenal gets major double injury boost on eve of Liverpool fixture

"Everybody makes mistakes so I don't think he will think too much about that. He just needs to keep doing what he's doing because he's a top player and he's helped us in a lot of gamesthis season."

Trossard, who was controversially sent off last month during Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Manchester City, has been a key player in the absence of injured captain Martin Odegaard.

Gabriel Martinelli is also confident that Trossard will prove his worth against Liverpool. He said of his teammate: "He could have scored but we are behind him, supporting him. We know his quality and we go again. I’m sure he’s going to play well in the next game."

Despite Kai Havertz being close to setting a record with one more goal for an eighth straight Emirates strike, Mikel Arteta upheld his decision to let another player take the penalty against Shakhtar. Arteta affirmed post-match: "The players made that decision - the penalty takers are normally Bukayo (Saka) or Martin - after that we have two or three players who can take them. Unfortunately it was an opportunity missed."

As the Gunners find themselves trailing by four points, every missed chance weighs heavier. The upcoming fixtures present their own challenge; following their last home match before a string of away games, they won't see their own fans at the Emirates until November 23 when they face Nottingham Forest, giving them all the more reason to clinch points early on.