David Raya has been in the spotlight recently and we could be seeing even more of him in the next few weeks.
Callum Wilson’s disallowed goal that would have put West Ham United level at the Emirates has caused a lot of controversy.
VAR recommended a check and referee Chris Kavanagh called a foul from Pablo on the Arsenal goalkeeper. While the Spaniard clearly had his movements limited by the contact with the opposition, fans made the point that the Gunners have got away with similar obstructions all season long.
But this situation made Raya’s performance in the game — and for the whole season, in fact — go under the radar. His clean sheet against the Hammers secured him the Golden Glove for the third-straight season.
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The 18 he’s had so far is the most since Brazilian duo Alisson (Liverpool) and Ederson (Manchester City) in 2021-22. He still has the chance to reach 20, with Burnley and Crystal Palace up next to wrap the campaign up.
Only six other goalkeepers have recorded 20+ clean sheets in a season in Premier League history:
- Petr Cech: 24 in 2004-05
- Edwin van der Sar: 21 in 2008-09
- Alisson: 21 in 2018-19, 20 in 2021-22
- Ederson: 20 in 2018-19, 20 in 2021-22
- Pepe Reina: 20 in 2005-06 and 2008-09
- Peter Schmeichel: 20 in 1994-95
And there are reasons to believe his award season may not end there.
Who are the PFA Player of the Year award favourites?
| Player (Club) | Odds (Bet365) |
|---|---|
| Declan Rice (Arsenal) | 8/15 |
| Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) | 7/2 |
| Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal) | 6/1 |
| Erling Haaland (Manchester City) | 9/1 |
| Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City) | 14/1 |
| David Raya (Arsenal) | 25/1 |
| William Saliba (Arsenal) | 66/1 |
| Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal) | 66/1 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) | 100/1 |
| Marc Guehi (Manchester City) | 100/1 |
Out of the current 10 favourites to win the PFA Player of the Year award, five play for Arsenal. Unsurprisingly, three of them are defenders: goalkeeper David Raya and centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba.
What is David Raya’s case for PFA Player of the Year?
Declan Rice is the deserved frontrunner, having been Arsenal’s most consistent performer who does a little bit of everything all over the pitch. But Raya isn’t too far off in terms of consistency.
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Reliable between the sticks
First and foremost, we must acknowledge that his job is relatively easier than other goalkeepers around the league.
Of the 24 to have played 1,000+ minutes this season, the Spaniard faces, on average, the second-lowest shot quality before the strike — at 0.09 Expected Goals Conceded per shot — and the fourth-lowest shot quality after the strike (0.29 xG on Target per shot on target faced).
He is also the least busy shot-stopper in the Premier League, facing a shot on target every 38 minutes — the most of any in the same collective as the previous rankings.
Still, he does what is asked of him. Raya owns the sixth-highest save percentage of all goalkeepers with 1,000+ minutes (69.4%). But this number increases when analysing opposing shots from inside the box. His 68.8% ranks second behind only Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (71.6%).
The 30-year-old also ranks well in another important metric. Arsenal have allowed their opponents the fewest big chances in the league this season (48). Of those, 27 hit the target in some way.
And still, Raya saved 15 of them. His big chance save percentage of 56% is the fourth-best return of any goalkeeper to have played 1,000+ minutes this year. Donnarumma is once again ahead of him while Matz Sels has found himself in the mix one more time.
Few faults
Opta has Raya responsible for just one error that led to an opposition goal. And, arguably, it wasn’t even his fault. Gabriel headed the ball away from his hands against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who scored right after that.
Dean Henderson is the only goalkeeper with 3,000+ minutes played and no errors that led to goals in the league. It goes to show how rare it is to not have a keeper at fault while spending so much time on the pitch.
Raya has made three errors that led to shots, however. But it’s still an understandable number considering how often he takes part in the build-up.
At the same time, he has initiated the second most shot-ending open-play sequences of any keeper (13, one fewer than Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez). And also the most goal-ending open play sequences (three, alongside Sanchez).
The chances of him winning the PFA Player of the Year Award are indeed slim. But should Arsenal win the title while finding themselves in danger over the final two matchweeks like they did against West Ham with Raya saving the day once more, it could become a possibility.
After all, odds have already shortened after his heroics last weekend and there is no reason to believe it couldn’t happen again.