Is there anyone who would dispute David Raya’s status as Arsenal’s number one? I do not think so, and neither does BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Many were perplexed when Mikel Arteta approved Raya’s arrival last summer, given that Aaron Ramsdale had established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice goalie in the last few seasons. His brilliance had some predicting him to be the next England Three Lions first-choice shot stopper.
Nonetheless, it appears that the Arsenal technical bench believed Ramsdale was not their ideal custodian and hence pushed to bring in Raya, who appears to have been the goalie tailor-made for Arteta’s project given his assured position in Arteta’s starting 11.
Since dropping Ramsdale following the September international break, Mikel Arteta has relied too much on Raya in goal, starting him in almost every game. Since then, Ramsdale has only appeared in league cups, a dead rubber Champions League game, and one league game against Brentford (a game Raya couldn’t play).
Raya has experienced both highs and lows throughout his time as an Arsenal goalie. He was erroneous at first, but he has grown stronger over time. He has been outstanding in recent games, with excellent ball distribution. Gooners can begin to understand why Arteta signed him in the first place.
Garth Crooks was thrilled with his performance in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool; therefore, he included him in his Premier League Match Day 23 squad of the week. The BBC pundit praises the Spaniard for his resurgence and believes we are beginning to discover what he is actually all about.
“I was rather surprised by the way Mikel Arteta first introduced Raya into the Arsenal set-up, especially when Aaron Ramsdale appeared to have done nothing wrong. However, things have settled down since the Spanish goalkeeper took the number one spot,” Crooks said.
“His confidence has steadily improved with every game. He looked especially commanding in their 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest and even more secure in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Consecutive wins have taken the Gunners within two points of Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League leaders, and Raya is starting to look like he’s the real deal.”
I don’t think you do, but do you still doubt Raya’s status as Arsenal’s number one? After bringing him on loan for £3 million, Arsenal are now certain to make his deal permanent in the summer for £27 million.
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