The Spaniard admitted that the Gunners remain confident in overcoming the deficit to Liverpool, but insists they remain focused on themselves. Arne Slot has enjoyed an impressive start to life on Merseyside - leading the Reds to the top-flight summit, a Carabao Cup final and the Champions League knockout stages.
With the business end of the season rapidly on the horizon, the stakes are increasing and Liverpool face reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday afternoon in the latest showdown during a gruelling period. Ex-Gunners goalkeeper David Seaman highlighted the nervy display against Wolves last weekend and believes the pressure is affecting Slot's side during a chat with Arsenal's current No.1.
Raya replied: "That's going to happen (nerves). I think that happened to us last year when they played first and we played after then we got beat by Aston Villa.
"That's the just the sense of football, maybe this weekend we play first then they play second, we play second and they play first. You just have to cope with it as best as possible and the best way is to think about ourselves and to not think too much about them.
"Win games, win the next game and we'll see where we are in May," the 29-year-old added. "This league is crazy when you think about the top six, the big clubs but you're putting Aston Villa, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Fulham all these times are fighting to get in European positions, it's so entertaining for the fans but it's so tough for us and the players competing at the highest level.
"It's an open league, that's why it's magnificent. [It's] The best league in the world because of these things because you don't know who can be up there.
"[The Arsenal] Squad is very happy with what we have been doing, how we've been playing, what we showed to everyone what we could be able to do. We're very, very confident that we're going to keep going and try to win it at the end of the season.
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