Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya: Confident, composed and increasingly commanding

New York Times

15 hours ago

If most football fans had a choice, they would probably pick a 6ft 6in (198cm) goalkeeper for their team ahead of one that is 'just' 6ft.
Those are the respective heights of Manchester United's Altay Bayindir and Arsenal's David Raya. But even with what some would call a height disadvantage, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his staff will feel just fine with their shorter shot-stopper.
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Raya was the reason his side left Old Trafford with three points on the opening weekend. He made more saves (seven in total) than any Premier League goalkeeper on matchday one, and began his charge for a third successive golden glove by securing a clean sheet. He shared the award with Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels last season after they both recorded 13 shutouts.
Aside from his saves, one moment early in the second half typified the contrast between Arsenal and United's goalkeepers. After Arsenal took advantage of a frail Bayindir to score from yet another set piece, Raya stood strong to repel the hosts.
'(Matthijs) de Ligt standing right in front of Raya,' BBC Match of the Day's Guy Mowbray said in commentary as the Spain international punched a free kick out of the penalty area. 'That's good from David Raya. That's strong. That's what Altay Bayindir needed to do (in the) first half.'
It was a moment that instilled more confidence in Arsenal's rearguard at a crucial juncture, and spoke to a point made by Roy Keane. During a post-match discussion on Sky Sports, the former United captain said: 'If they've got players bigger than your lads, you're going to be outmatched somewhere. You can't babysit a goalkeeper.'
He was talking about Bayindir for the Riccardo Calafiori goal.
Mason Mount was caught marking William Saliba on the goalkeeper's toes, which Micah Richards argued was a mismatch. In an almost identical situation, Raya was helped by not having a defender — or, in Keane's words, 'a babysitter' — wrestling with De Ligt. Raya had less bodies to worry about and took charge of the situation…
Gabriel ended up near De Ligt, but more because of intuition than picking him out before the corner was taken.
Raya was helped by Benjamin White marking De Ligt at a corner in the first half, giving him a free catch before setting up an Arsenal attack. But dealing with crosses has long been a strength of the Arsenal No 1.
In his two full seasons at Arsenal, he faced fewer crosses than in his two Premier League seasons with Brentford, but stopped a higher percentage of them.
'It comes down to confidence,' says Matt Pyzdrowski, The Athletic's goalkeeping expert, on Raya's punch. 'When you're confident in yourself and all your actions, you don't feel like you need anyone in front of you.
'The most important thing for the goalkeeper is that they feel they can attack the ball. The way he uses the momentum that's already on the ball to send it further with a solid contact — and not do any crazy arm swing — is perfectly executed.'
In that moment, Raya made his height disadvantage irrelevant. De Ligt is 6ft 4in, but Raya seemed as calm as anyone inside Old Trafford when he redirected the ball away from goal.
There were even doubts that Raya would reach 6ft when he initially went on trial with Blackburn Rovers as a 16-year-old in 2012. Thankfully for Arteta and Arsenal, those doubts were overlooked, and Raya has improved with age.
'What makes Raya so good in the air is his timing and positioning,' Pyzdrowski says. 'Despite only being 6ft tall, he's able to meet the ball at his highest point.
'That's why I say size really doesn't matter. It can help you and give you advantages, but if you don't have good timing, technique or positioning, it doesn't matter how tall you are. Raya is proof of that. That's why I always dismiss people when they say 'the goalkeeper's too small' — it's bulls**t.'
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And Raya was in flow well before punching that free kick away from the danger area. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha worked multiple openings for United in the first half, and while some of their efforts were tame, the pick of Raya's saves came when he got his left hand low to deny Cunha an equaliser.
'I don't know how I saved it, to be honest; it was very close to my feet,' Raya told Sky Sports minutes after the full-time whistle.
'Him saving that with his hand is ridiculous,' Pyzdrowski says. 'It's so close to his body, but he quickly tucks his left leg out from underneath and just throws his hand out to the ball. The quickness and flexibility on top are outstanding.
'Most goalkeepers in that situation would go with their feet. Then it's just a case of getting the timing right. But the fact he throws his hand at the ball is world-class.
'That is why goalkeepers do a lot of complex and random exercises: because you have to make decisions quickly and sometimes there's no real thought process behind it, it's just reaction and instinct.'
This is the second successive season in which Arsenal have needed Raya to be at his best immediately.
Last August, he made two outstanding saves in each of Arsenal's opening Premier League matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa to help secure two wins from two games. A month later, he saved a penalty and the rebound away to Atalanta to rescue a valuable point in the first round of Champions League fixtures.
He remained a consistent performer for most of the 2024-25 season and was a major reason Arsenal managed to finish second despite drawing 14 league games. And while Arteta will hope Raya continues to be just as reliable this term, he will also need his outfield players to step up.
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