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David Raya has propelled himself into the conversation for player of the season as he helped Arsenal to a 1-0 win in the Champions League against Sporting CP
Goals win games, but Kai Havertz’s strike late on in Lisbon also highlighted the heroics of David Raya. Arsenal were heading towards a third game without victory and could have even potentially been felled by a spirited Sporting CP, who had chances to win it themselves. But the Gunners dug in, bided their time and struck but not without leaning heavily on their returning goalkeeper David Raya.
It was interesting the discussion I had riding the lift down from the seventh floor to two levels below the surface of the Jose Alvalade Stadium. Some of my peers were more critical of the performance, whereas others, including myself, were rather upbeat.
I think it is easy to overlook the opponent sometimes. The two defeats in the last two games saw scrutiny fall so heavily on Arsenal, but both Manchester City and Southampton deserved huge credit for their performances.
Eight changes were made from the team that lost on the south coast, and the Saints on Tuesday evening would go to Wrexham and score five goals as their push to return to the Premier League moves to an even higher gear. It’s not about excuses, but there was little surprise to me with everything considered that Arsenal lost that game – and they could have equally won it had Max Dowman or Martin Odegaard’s big chances found their way into the net on another day.
However, they did lose, and it created this overburdening sense of pressure heading to Lisbon. David Raya spoke before the game about how “it’s part of football” that he was left out of the last two games, with Kepa Arrizabalaga picked instead.
The second-string keeper made a high-profile error in the League Cup final, and many called for him to be dropped, only to see him start on the south coast. He conceded two, with some scrutiny again over the first, but it was mainly about how his presence changes the way the back line performs and progresses the ball.
Back in the starting eleven, Raya produced some brilliant saves. The first was from Maxi Araujo’s 66mph strike, which he tipped onto the bar, then some late parries mainly from Gery Catano.
Matchwinner Kai Havertz spoke to TNT Sports after the game and was full of praise for his stopper. “He’s unbelievable,” Havertz said.
“I think he is still underestimated in the world of football, but for me, in the last two seasons, the best keeper in the world. He's outstanding, he's saved us so many times, and we're very glad to have him.”
He is indeed unbelievable. That was his seventh Champions League clean sheet this season, and according to Opta, he has stopped 90% of the shots on target he has faced in Europe, with 27 out of 30, the leading figure for any goalkeeper still in the tournament.
In the Premier League, Raya has kept 15 clean sheets, which puts him four ahead of his closest rivals, Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma. With so many huge matches remaining in the final two competitions, a big question is emerging.
Could David Raya become the second-ever goalkeeper to win the Premier League Player of the Season? The award has been running since 1995, when Alan Shearer was handed the individual accolade while at Blackburn Rovers.
Peter Schmeichel would be awarded the trophy the following season, having won both the Premier League and the FA Cup double with Manchester United. He kept 18 clean sheets in the league and shut out Liverpool in the cup final.
Since then, the award has been dominated by outfield players, with a shift in focus to the attacking or defensive output required in seasons to chase the biggest honours. However, Arsenal have been grinding out results across all competitions and have needed their Spanish keeper to remain strong between the sticks to provide a foundation for success.
It is not just about making saves either. Arteta has waxed lyrical about the evolution of the role, making reference to his own number one.
“That's the evolution of the game, I think, in every role,” he said. “The keeper, obviously, in the last few years has changed and evolved rapidly, and the amount of things that he has to do, it's a lot.
“But many positions have very similar situations and demands right now, and the players have to adapt to that. And when you have, apart from the qualities of David, the courage, the will to do certain things, that's when you can reach another level.”
It’s the distribution element and the confidence that a keeper can give his teammates. He effectively becomes the eleventh outfield player so often and can help both start attacks and release pressure from his colleagues.
“I am the last line of defence and the first line of attack,” Raya said when speaking the evening before the clash with Sporting CP. “So I try to apply what the boss wants me to do with the ball and without the ball, trying to find those advantages to carry the ball to the other goal.
“So basically, what we try to do is from the back we try to score, and that's the way we play, and I feel very, very confident to play this way, and I really, really enjoy it. I feel like I've been enjoying this football since I came here and taking that responsibility to help the team to win games.”
If Arsenal are to win the league or perhaps the Champions League, there is little doubt Raya will be up there alongside Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes as contenders for player of the season. However, if he remains as influential as he was in Lisbon, he might go on to grab the award all for himself.
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