Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has admitted he spent some time studying Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya before last night’s big game in the Champions League.
The England international scored a penalty against Arsenal’s Raya in the first half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium, and he spoke afterwards about how he adapted his penalty-taking technique against the Spanish shot-stopper.
Kane didn’t go into much detail about what he noticed about Raya’s game, but fans will surely have noticed that he went for a lower and less powerful shot than is his trademark from the penalty spot.
The former Tottenham man has scored a few times against Arsenal in his career, and we’ve seen him put some penalties away against them in the past, usually driving in powerful efforts rather than opting for placement.
With Raya, Kane perhaps saw the opportunity to send Raya the wrong way before coolly slotting home.
Kane reveals he studied Raya before changing penalty technique
Speaking to the press in the mixed zone after the game, Kane said: “We knew it would be difficult, obviously Arsenal are top of the Premier League for a reason. They’re a really good team, so it’s a game where it’s all to play for next week in front of our fans. We can come away maybe slightly happier than them, but there’s still all to play for next week.
He added: “I always seem to get a penalty here … I changed my technique with it a little bit, because I’d done some research on the ‘keeper.”
Attention to detail like this provides some insight into what makes Kane such an elite finisher at the highest level, with the 30-year-old enjoying a great career, with 280 goals in his time at Spurs and an impressive record of 39 goals in 38 games for Bayern this season.