David Raya is having a fantastic season, thoroughly justifying his Golden glove win last season. After impressing during a season-long loan, the Spaniard signed a £27 million permanent deal with Arsenal in the summer. That sealed Aaron Ramsdale’s fate at the Emirates Stadium, as Arteta made it obvious that the Brentford recruit was his first choice custodian.
Raya has been fantastic so far this season, keeping three clean sheets in four games and conceding only one goal in a run of matchups in which he should have conceded at least four goals.
On matchday one against Wolves, he made a superb point-blank save to stop the Wanderers from equalising and attempting a comeback.
On match day two against Aston Villa, he made the save of the season to deny Ollie Watkins a magnificent goal that would have given Villa the lead, laying the groundwork to deny the Gunners the three points. On match day three against Brighton, he made five saves and won 100% of his duels.
On Sunday, he was still at his best, making a handful of saves while dominating the Spurs forwards aerially to keep his clean sheet.
If Raya hadn’t brought his A-game this season, our Gunners’ season would have been a different story (rather than three victories and a draw). Four games into the season, Raya has performed admirably:
4 Games, 93% save rate, 1.14 XG prevented, 3 cleansheets and 100% duels won.
With Aaron Ramsdale in goal, most Gooners didn’t think Arsenal needed to improve their goalkeeping department.
However, a season and four games later, David Raya has changed everyone’s perception. He’s more than just a fantastic custodian, who many felt was simply adept at ball distribution; he’s also a talented shot stopper and a proactive leader who brings calm to this Arsenal team.
Surely, Raya has been the secret to Arsenal’s excellent start this season.
Jack Anderson
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
He is a great goalie. I love the way he plucks crosses out of the air. Very calm at the back and the back line trust him too. Well done David Raya.
Although Raya is better than Ramsdale our forward line has to effective to reduce the load on him.
our DM too. If they do their job the defense would not be under pressure.
He’s been outstanding so far. Looks a level above least season – more comfortable in our team, like he feels he finally belongs there
He spent a year training day in, day out with Ramsdale. It must have been a real confidence boost to know that he had won that battle against another excellent keeper.
Yes. I agree. He’s a great Goalie
In fact our whole defence has been fabulous
As much as we have a good back four, we need our goalie to show up when called upon and Raya hasn’t disappointed. Very commanding with crosses and made big saves so far.
Raya is basically the cheat code for Arsenal. We try to squeeze the middle of the park out of possession and push teams wide, where the usual course of action is often the crosses into the box or occasional corners. Raya fits in perfectly in this scenario. He swats down high crosses like mosquitoes. He prevents a lot of high danger scenarios before they happen. So far this season, he has been the main man for me.
He has shown an exemplary calmness, and a genuine leadership to keep the back 4 in line this season. I have never seen edgy this season. He settles the heat of the moment and allows the back four to keep their focus on the task.
Raya is combining better with his defenders particularly the way they deal with threats when he goes for crosses. The combination of him Saliba and Gabriel are so dominant in that area that other sides may as well give up on that route.
Emi Martinez is better. Also in penalties.
Yawns.
Arteta’s decision to drop Ramsdale have far long being justified. Raya is doing an absolutely great work.
I was not sold that he was an improvement over Ramsdale but I can’t find fault in him and he has been outstanding this season. Arteta has built probably the best defense in the world right now.
I feel like I’m watching one of the elite-level GKs He looks improved this season touch wood
It’s quite remarkable that so many people on forums such as this consistently argued that Raya was not an upgrade on Ramsdale and couldn’t see the point of bringing him in.
It’s taken more than a year for some to finally accept what was quite clear.