Gary Neville's one-word verdict on Man City star Gianluigi Donnarumma speaks volumes

Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma starred against Arsenal on Sunday, putting in another accomplished performance in-between the sticks

Gary Neville has lauded Gianluigi Donnarumma as an "animal" and believes he would pick him over David Raya following another inspired performance from the Italian during Manchester City's 1-1 draw at Arsenal.

Donnarumma, 26, signed for City from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day and he has made quite the impact since his move to the Etihad Stadium. Indeed, the Italy international has conceded just once in his first three appearances and that came in the 93rd minute of Sunday's clash at the Emirates Stadium.

The former AC Milan shot-stopper may have made only two saves, but his all-round performance stood out. He commanded his box and collected crosses, as well as looking assured with his feet.

Delivering his assessment of Donnarumma post-match, ex-Manchester United and England defender Neville told the Gary Neville podcast: "You look at Donnarumma, he's an absolute animal.

"He's just big. When he comes for it, it makes oncoming attackers think about it, because they know they're going to get a right bash in the head if he comes and hits you.

"For me, I think he's a fantastic goalkeeper. He's the type of goalkeeper I've always enjoyed. I like Alisson at Liverpool. I like Raya. But I wouldn’t pick Raya over Donnarumma, or Alisson, because I love a massive goalkeeper.

"A Peter Schmeichel, an Edwin van der Sar… It makes a massive difference when your goalkeeper is towering above everyone else. But also when they’re very good at what they do. And he’s very good at what he does.

"He makes saves, he dominates his box, he’s positive in his actions. He will make some mistakes along the way, and that’s fine -but I think he does the right things. He’d had a big impact already at City."

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta shared some praise for Donnarumma in his post-match press conference, following his third meeting against the Gunners within the space of six months.

"He's so dominant in the box and every ball that is in and around the six-yard box, his timing, the way he executes the action, it is super efficient," Arteta said on Donnarumma. "It's very difficult and today again he made some very important contributions not to lose again."

The point for City sees them move to seven for the season following last Sunday's 3-0 success against Manchester United and the opening weekend thrashing at Wolves.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.