‘The most attacking goalkeeper in the league’ – how David Raya fuels Arsenal’s success

Given Arsenal’s defensive record this season, it’s interesting that the bulk of this piece so far has been about Raya’s impact outside of shot blocking.

Arsenal have conceded just 10 goals in 16 matches, the fewest in the Premier League, with Raya having the most clean sheets with eight.

As a result, you can assume that Raya’s shot-stopping ability reflects his impressive quality on the ball.

However, according to the data, Raya has conceded 1.42 more goals than expected at this time of the season.

Does this take away from how good Rea is as a goalkeeper?

Elite goaltenders often make the difference between a team winning and losing a one-off game.

After Arsenal’s defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last season, Arteta spoke about Donnarumma’s heroics with the French champion.

The Spaniard said: “We have two attacking players against Donnarumma. If they score, it is a different matter.”

“He made the same saves as he did against Liverpool and Villa, and that is the difference in the Champions League, and the margins are very small.”

Raya does not give Arsenal that specific quality, but despite this, Arsenal are able to maintain impressive numbers due to their defensive structure and the level of control they exercise.

Ultimately, Arsenal give up little by preventing chances and shots from occurring in the first place through the many factors we have highlighted above.