Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan has made his debut for Arsenal, the English Premier League club he supported as a kid.
It was a brutal introduction for Ryan, who was beaten by a deflected shot in just the third minute of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa.
But Ryan went on to make a number of saves in a strong performance for Arsenal, who were defeated 1-0 at Villa Park.
Ollie Watkins’ deflected strike was the only goal for the match, with the win lifting Villa above Tottenham to eighth on the table, while Arsenal remained at 10th.
With his debut, Ryan became the first Australian to appeal for Arsenal in a competitive game since John Kosmina in 1978.