David Raya is one step away from unprecedented Premier League history
No Premier League goalkeeper has ever won the Golden Glove in four consecutive seasons. With three consecutive awards to his name, David Raya has the opportunity to do that this season.
Raya will almost certainly be in contention for the Golden Glove this season. Not just because he's a fine goalkeeper in his own right, but because Arsenal's defence is the best in the world.
The back four hardly gives Raya any work to do, which benefits him when it comes to chasing awards like this. When he is faced with shots, he can certainly hold his own, but he doesn't face nearly the same number of shots as his competitors.
David Raya could make history with Arsenal this season
| Goalkeeper | Golden Glove streak (consecutive years) |
|---|---|
| David Raya | 3 - current |
| Ederson | 3 |
| Joe Hart | 3 |
| Pepe Reina | 3 |
If Raya wins the Golden Glove this season, he would set a new record of four Golden Glove awards won in consecutive seasons. He would also become the joint most decorated goalkeeper in this regard, alongside Petr Čech and Joe Hart.
| Goalkeeper | Total Golden Glove awards |
|---|---|
| Petr Čech | 4 |
| Joe Hart | 4 |
| David Raya | 3 |
| Ederson | 3 |
| Pepe Reina | 3 |
| David De Gea | 2 |
| Alisson | 2 |
| Matz Sels | 1 |
| Thibaut Courtois | 1 |
| Wojciech Szczęsny | 1 |
| Edwin van der Sar | 1 |
David Raya has turned Arsenal into a force to be reckoned with
Goalkeepers are underappreciated. This was proven in ESPN's power rankings, placing David Raya as the 47th best player in the Premier League.
However, Raya does not need external validation. He has made Arsenal a solid unit at the back that they need. Sure, he is helped out by a world-class defence, but they wouldn't be as organised as they are without Raya whipping them into shape.
In his few years at Arsenal, Raya has hardly put a foot wrong. He made an immediate impact when he was signed from Brentford, and since then, Mikel Arteta hasn't looked back.
David Raya turned doubters into believers in record time
When David Raya first joined Arsenal, he was met with confusion and, let's face it, hostility.
Aaron Ramsdale was the starting goalkeeper before Raya, and fans had grown attached to the English shot-stopper.
Ramsdale certainly flipped the script at Arsenal, and he proved to the club what a capable pair of hands can do between the sticks.
Many felt like Raya was a pointless signing because Ramsdale was so good. It came back to the age-old adage: why fix something that's not broken?
Well, Raya proved Mikel Arteta right in no time at all. The decision to bring him in was vindicated almost immediately, even if it took some fans more time to warm to the idea.
Nowadays, nobody can disagree: Raya is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Signing him was one of the best decisions Arteta ever made.
