£27m star told he has now ‘really improved’ in one key area since he joined Arsenal

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Journalist James McNicholas has now praised Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya for the progress he has made this season.

David Raya has had an up-and-down start to his Arsenal career.

The Spanish shot-stopper arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, but Mikel Arteta’s decision to make him the club’s new No. 1 one ahead of Aaron Ramsdale early on in the campaign was not a popular one with many of the club’s supporters. 

This was not due to Raya as much as it was about the England man’s status as a fan-favourite in north London. As such, after Raya made a few errors early on in his tenure between the sticks, plenty of Arsenal fans were soon calling on Arteta to reinstate Ramdale in the starting XI.

However, the Spanish coach stuck with Raya as his first choice, and in recent weeks he has started to look like a far more settled and assured presence in this Arsenal team.

Against Liverpool on Sunday, the 28-year-old was involved in a mix up with William Saliba which saw the Gunners concede a goal. However, the French centre-back was the one who was primarily at fault in that instance. Everything else Raya did in the match was excellent.

David Raya taking steps forward at Arsenal

He particularly caught the eye in the first half, as having come off of his line smartly to claim a cross, the goalkeeper spotted the run of Gabriel Martinelli and quickly hurled the ball out to the Brazilian. The winger was then able to surge forward and deliver a ball into the Liverpool penalty area which Bukayo Saka almost scored from. That chance all stemmed from Raya’s quick thinking and accurate distribution.

Reflecting on this moment, James McNicholas gave his verdict on Raya on the Arsecast Extra podcast. He said, “one of the areas Raya has really improved in since he came into the club has been in terms of claiming the cross and finding that quick release. The early pass, the early throw.”

So much of this improvement will be down to confidence and familiarity. Raya will now feel more assured of his place in the Arsenal team, and has now had time to get to know his new teammates better, and to understand and adapt to their games and preferences. He has also had chance to adjust to Arteta’s tactical demands.

In the second half of the season, Raya now needs convince his remaining doubters that he is a worthy successor to Ramsdale who will inevitably leave the club this summer. Meanwhile, Arsenal have decided to pay the £27 million fee that will convert Raya’s switch to the Emirates Stadium into a permanent move.