Eyebrows were raised when summer signing David Raya replaced Aaron Ramsdale in goal for Arsenal, but he has fully justified Mikel Arteta’s faith.
Raya attracted heavy criticism when he replaced the England International as Arsenal’s number one in September, and after a slow start, many were questioning the signing.
However, Raya has now blossomed into one of the finest goalkeepers in the league, and he has helped Arsenal keep an outstanding defensive record, having conceded just eight goals in the league in 2024.
Arsenal’s defensive unit including William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been sensational alongside Raya, and the Spaniard has now been recognised for the efforts of him and his teammates.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya wins Premier League Golden Glove
Raya has kept 14 clean sheets in 29 Premier League games this season, which is two more than the next-best goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, of Everton.
Everton’s 1-1 draw with Luton Town means that Pickford, and no other goalkeeper, can surpass Raya’s total of clean sheets, and the Spain International has therefore won the Golden Glove already, no matter what happens in the final three games.
This is the first time an Arsenal goalkeeper has won the Golden Glove since Petr Cech did it, also in his debut season for the club, in 2015-16, a season in which Arsenal came second.
Arsenal goalkeepers who have won the Golden Glove
Raya is just the third goalkeeper in Arsenal’s history to win the Premier League Golden Glove. Cech did it in 2016, and Wojciech Szczesny managed it in the 2013-14 season.
Both Cech and Szczesny won the award with 16 clean sheets each, so Raya will have to keep two more in his final three games to match them. If he wants to overtake them, he cannot concede a single goal for the rest of the season.
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Golden Gloves, whilst awarded to goalkeepers, do reflect the quality of the defence, and whilst Raya has performed superbly at times this season, his defensive unit also deserve a lot of credit.
Ben White, the two centre-backs and midfielder Declan Rice have been essential in building the Premier League’s best defence, and if Arsenal can go on to win the title, they will have played a huge part.