The man with the golden gloves: Analyzing David Raya’s best five saves of the season

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No matter what occurs in Arsenal’s last three Premier League matches, David Raya has earned a minimum of a share of the division’s Golden Glove award for a 3rd successive season.

Arsenal’s goalkeeper has stored 17 clear sheets in the 35 video games up to now. The solely participant who might match him is Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, who’s on 13 and has 4 league fixtures left, making it more and more probably that Raya shall be the outright winner for 2025-26. He could be simply the fourth goalkeeper to obtain the award three seasons in a row after Liverpool’s Pepe Reina (2006, 2007, 2008), and City’s pair of Joe Hart (2011, 2012, 2013) and Ederson (2020, 2021, 2022).

The numbers are startling.

The 17 clear sheets Raya has stored are already a season-best since he joined Arsenal in summer season 2023. In his 105 Premier League appearances for the membership, he has stored clear sheets in 46 of these matches (43.8 per cent).

“He’s been exceptional,” Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta mentioned forward of the journey to West Ham United tomorrow (Sunday). “His stage of consistency has been one thing that no one anticipated. He has reached a stage that’s extremely excessive and generally we take some of the issues he does as regular, however they aren’t.

“He has responded in crucial moments. For the third consecutive season, to achieve that is remarkable.”

Raya’s efforts appear to be they may lastly lead to a Premier League title for Arsenal. He has usually made essential saves when his aspect have been stage on the scoreboard or had a one-goal benefit, laying the platform for them to both lengthen their lead, see out a victory or keep away from defeat.

With the assist of our resident goalkeeping professional Matt Pyzdrowski, TheAthletic breaks down five of the 30-year-old Spain worldwide’s best saves this season, which might finally see Arsenal topped champions for the first time since 2004.

1. Brighton (Home, 2-1 win, December 27)

This is arguably Raya’s best Premier League save of the season, and it was an important one. It was late December, and Arsenal had dropped to second after a Manchester City win over Nottingham Forest earlier in the day, and this win push helped Arsenal again to the high of the league with a two-point cushion.

The save itself was made in the 76th minute, when Arsenal have been main 2-1 however had seen their lead halved 12 minutes earlier.

As Brighton mixed round the edge of the field earlier than slipping the ball in behind Yankuba Minteh, Raya constantly scanned the house in entrance of him and made small changes to his positioning to remain linked to each the ball and the runners round him. Once Minteh made his strategy, the intent and velocity of the motion made it clear to Raya that the Brighton winger was going to shoot. That turned the set off for his preparation.

Raya received set early and used a superbly timed split-step, which allowed him to remain balanced and rapidly drive his proper foot into the floor to push explosively towards the ball. The physique language of the attacker additionally helped him learn the state of affairs. Minteh’s open hips and angled strategy gave an early indication of the probably trajectory of the shot, permitting him to react aggressively relatively than late.

And driving his proper leg ahead to throw himself towards the ball.

The spectacular half of the save got here from his approach.

Raya appropriately selected to go with his backside hand relatively than the higher one. Because the ball traveled away from him and rose towards the high nook as an alternative of climbing up and over his shoulder, the backside hand allowed him to completely lengthen and assault the shot on its pure line.

Raya expertly tipping the ball over the bar with his backside hand.

In these conditions, the backside hand has a transparent benefit as a result of it matches the trajectory of the strike and infrequently solely requires a slight flex of the wrist or fingertips to information the ball over the crossbar.

When you see Minteh’s response afterwards, he’s fully flabbergasted that he did not rating, which tells you every little thing you want to find out about this save’s problem stage. Without a doubt, one of Raya’s best of the season.

2. Nottingham Forest (Home, 3-0 win, September 13)

Arsenal have been already 2-0 up when the ball inadvertently bounced off Chris Wood’s chest in direction of objective, however Raya’s reactions and agility helped him safe a 3rd clear sheet in 4 matches to start out the league season.

The save started with Raya’s positioning throughout the cutback section. As the ball was delivered into the field towards Wood, he initially held a place a number of yards off his line so he might affect each the cross and a possible shot on the right track.

As the supply traveled in, Raya adjusted with two fast shuffle steps to remain balanced and linked to the ball.

The key motion for him got here by the micro-step to his left, mixed with the drop step again towards his line. That allowed him to rapidly flip his chest and hips and assault the save from the appropriate angle, relatively than being caught beneath the flight of the ball.

The technical element that stood out most was the use of the high hand.

Unlike the above save in opposition to Brighton, the ball right here traveled up and over Raya, making the high hand the appropriate selection as a result of it naturally supplied an extended attain whereas concurrently permitting him to tilt his hips and shoulders, which turned essential right here as he stretched to get the slightest contact to deflect it onto the bar.

The save seemed instinctive, however technical particulars — the footwork, physique rotation and hand choice — have been what made the unattainable doable.

3. Newcastle United (Home, 1-0 win, April 25)

This helped safe the first of two latest wins which have given Arsenal respiratory house at the high of the desk and highlighted Raya’s stability, reactivity and talent to reorganize her physique in opposition to an unpredictable strike.

Sandro Tonali struck a knuckle-ball of a shot from over 30 yards, inflicting him to maneuver initially towards Raya’s proper earlier than swerving again throughout his physique halfway by his flight. He first reacted towards his proper, however crucially stayed balanced and by no means totally dedicated his weight in that course.

That allowed him to rapidly push off his exterior leg (proper) and redirect again throughout objective.

The selection of approach and execution of the sweep save right here was merely excellent. By tucking his left leg beneath his physique, nearly concurrently as he pushed off his proper leg, and dropping sharply to his left, Raya was capable of get down rapidly regardless of his momentum initially touring the reverse method, earlier than extending a powerful left hand to make the cease.

It was an especially troublesome adjustment to make in actual time and an ideal instance of how the fixed concentrate on stability, redirection and reactive footwork in coaching instantly translated into his skill to react in a match state of affairs.

4. Chelsea (Home, 2-1 win, March 1)

Deep in time, it appeared like Alejandro Garnacho’s deep cross was destined for the far nook, with Chelsea’s then supervisor Liam Rosenier able to rejoice.

“My heart almost stopped,” Arteta joked. “But David’s hand was there to bring it back to life.”

The place to begin of this save was Raya’s studying of the state of affairs earlier than the ball was even delivered, with Jurrien Timber blocking a taking pictures alternative.

Unable to assert the cross as a result of of the site visitors forward of him and the bounce of the ball, he repositioned himself deeper towards his objective line in anticipation of a possible redirection on the right track.

What stood out all through the sequence was his stability. Raya remained lively on his ft and totally linked to the play relatively than turning into flat-footed or falling backwards as the ball traveled by the crowd.

Once the supply bypassed the runners and continued towards the again publish untouched, he reacted instantly by driving his left foot forcefully into the floor and utilizing the energy step to generate the obligatory momentum and energy towards the ball.

The trailing proper leg additionally turned a key element, serving to Raya drive towards the ball and serving to generate the energy wanted to completely lengthen and switch it round the publish.

In these conditions, goalkeepers can usually develop into trapped on their line and unable to react ahead into the save, one thing Raya fully prevented right here to place Arsenal five factors clear.

5. Everton (Home, 2-0 win, March 14)

Another pivotal match in the title race, due to the late objectives of Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman, however Arsenal wanted their goalkeeper earlier in the day to make sure they might have the alternative to go on and take the three factors.

Stopping crosses has always been one of Raya’s strengthsand on this event, he did nicely to return by site visitors, assault the ball decisively and win the first duel inside the six-yard field. Once the clearance dropped again towards the edge of the space, nevertheless, his focus instantly shifted from defending the cross to defending the objective.

As the ball bounced round the field, Raya constantly adjusted his positioning to remain linked to it regardless of the quantity of our bodies between himself and the impending shot.

Raya’s imaginative and prescient turned partially obstructed by Martin Zubimendi’s outstretched leg as Beto let fly, which made it troublesome to completely see the actual second of contact. Because of that obstruction, Raya was nonetheless barely in movement as the shot traveled towards objective, relatively than being totally set.

Fortunately for Arsenal, his positioning and stability had already positioned him in a superb place to react. As the ball flashed by the our bodies in entrance of him, Raya instinctively shot out her left leg at the last second to make an incredible save.

The footwork, stability and reactions all through the whole sequence have been merely excellent and preserved Arsenal’s clear sheet at an important second in the match. With City drawing 1-1 with West Ham later that night, Arsenal went 9 factors clear.

Raya solely ranks seventeenth for complete saves made in the Premier League this season, and thirty fourth on a per-90-minutes foundation (1.34). That shall be right down to Arsenal’s strong protection, which helped him hold a document eight consecutive clear sheets in all competitions earlier in the season, however being much less busy than most goalkeepers means he should strive tougher to take care of his focus.

There continues to be work to do to make sure that this Golden Glove will imply extra to Raya and Arsenal than the earlier two, however in his first season with the membership’s No 1 jersey, he has continued to show why Arteta made the controversial resolution to signal him from Brentford.