After yet one more comparatively quiet night time on the workplace, David Raya sprang into motion. As quickly because the referee pointed to the spot at Slavia Prague on Tuesday, Arsenal's goalkeeper sprinted to the touchline to seek advice from the coach Iñaki Caña in a routine that started when the pair first labored collectively at Brentford. Irrespective of that Arsenal had been cruising at 3-0 up with 5 minutes remaining and on their option to a tenth straight victory – Raya was on the verge of making historical past if he may save the penalty and preserve the workforce's eighth successive clear sheet.
In the long run, the video assistant referee got here to Arsenal's rescue and the penalty was overturned, though Raya did have to save lots of a easy effort from Youssoupha Mbodji in harm time from Slavia's solely shot on the right track. It was solely the seventh save he has made in 4 Champions League ties, during which he has but to concede a objective. Extremely, since Nick Woltemade scored previous Raya for Newcastle on 28 September, Arsenal have conceded solely 12 pictures on the right track in 12 hours and 56 minutes on their option to equalling a membership clear sheets file established over two seasons in 1903 once they had been a workforce from south London enjoying within the outdated Second Division.
Raya's fiftieth Arsenal clear sheet in 110 video games since becoming a member of from Brentford in 2023 took him previous the file holder from that aspect, Jimmy Ashcroft, and the joke doing the rounds amongst followers has been that the Spaniard may begin working from house and nonetheless preserve a clear sheet. It was additionally advised after the 4-0 thrashing of Atlético Madrid final month that he may contemplate bringing alongside a e book to maintain him occupied.
“No, you by no means know,” Raya mentioned with a smile. “You by no means know when the opposite workforce goes to have an opportunity. You need to be alert, irrespective of how we're enjoying or how we play. I've to be alert 90, 100 minutes each recreation.”
Mikel Arteta has no issues in that regard. “It's the way in which he's naturally, the way in which he trains each single day and the way in which he anticipates issues,” Arsenal's supervisor mentioned earlier than Saturday's recreation at Sunderland. “David is phenomenal at that.”
Raya's interactions with Caña, who ran his personal goalkeeping academy in Barcelona earlier than becoming a member of Brentford in 2018, are key to that focus course of. Raya, who has the very best save success fee within the Premier League at 84.2% from 19 pictures, usually consults the 50-year-old throughout breaks in play to get the attitude of a coach who moved to Arsenal when Arteta took over in December 2019.
Raya has described his function as “the primary attacker and the final defender” and mentioned in an interview with Brentford in 2023: “My view from the again is totally completely different to watching the sport from the aspect of the pitch. From the aspect you see extra. It's arduous for me to talk with these on the touchline as a result of I'm far-off, so I exploit each alternative I can get. I'll have concepts in my head. We could do this, we could strive that? I need to assist the workforce as a lot as attainable in each means. ”
In contrast with different latest outings, Raya was far busier within the first half-hour towards Slavia, coping with crosses and a shot that turned out to be offside, because the Czech champions compelled Arsenal again with out severely threatening his objective. As Arsenal started to ascertain dominance in midfield and pushed additional up the pitch, his mobility and distribution got here into their very own.
In accordance with Opta, the 30-year-old has registered the best velocity of any goalkeeper within the Champions League this season at 31.34km/h and ranks second within the Premier League at 30.14km/h, simply behind Dean Henderson of Crystal Palace at 30.27km/h. This offers Raya a bonus when he decides to come back out of his space, and his 273 touches in his seven-game run of unpolluted sheets (he was rested for the eighth recreation, a Carabao Cup tie) illustrate that he does that repeatedly. There have even been two within the opposition half. One on the left touchline towards Atlético virtually led to a objective after he misplaced possession to Giuliano Simeone.
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It was a reminder of the tightrope such an method may be, though Raya, who signed an improved contract final month, has eradicated the errors that originally made his transition to Arsenal tough as he vied with Aaron Ramsdale to be the No 1. He has put that all the way down to a two-hour heart-to-heart with Caña after conceding three objectives towards Luton in December 2023, which led Raya to ascertain a brand new morning routine that features getting up earlier and having an ice tub. The 4-3 victory at Kenilworth Street was the final time Arsenal let in three objectives – a run of 103 video games surpassed amongst Premier League golf equipment solely by José Mourinho's Manchester United (107).
There has additionally been larger focus from Raya on turning into extra aggressive in claiming crosses. “Iñaki was one of many causes behind that,” Raya, who left Spain as an adolescent and reduce his tooth enjoying within the Nationwide League for Southport on mortgage from Blackburn, told Arsenal's website just lately. “I used to be extra of a reactive goalkeeper earlier than, however now I see the distinction between being reactive – whenever you wait to make the save – or proactive – when you possibly can cease the assaults taking place. You do this both by being excessive up, or coming off your line for crosses, not attempting to remain in your line and make wonder-saves.”
Arsenal are England's first top-flight workforce for greater than a century to win eight successive matches with out conceding in all competitions however face an in-form Sunderland. Raya, who has the date of his Premier League debut for Brentford – a 2-0 win over Arsenal – tattooed on his neck in recognition of his lengthy journey to the highest, won't be taking something without any consideration.
