While Arsenal slumped to defeat against West Ham, fans were still left stunned by David Raya, who stopped things from becoming even worse.
The Gunners went behind just before the half-time break as Jarrod Bowen broke the deadlock to give the visitors the lead.
It was one that Arsenal were unable to overturn, despite all of the pressure they tried to put on West Ham during the second half.
For Mikel Arteta, it proved to be a potentially costly defeat in the Premier League title race, one that his side will need to respond to if they are to win the title this season.
However, it could’ve been much worse late on at the Emirates Stadium if it wasn’t for the heroics of David Raya.
Arsenal fans stunned by David Raya tackle on James Ward-Prowse
Late in the game and searching for a way back into it, Arsenal sent David Raya up to pack the box for a corner kick to find a late goal.
It didn’t quite work out though, with West Ham having a breakaway courtesy of James Ward-Prowse, offering a chance to double the lead.
In impressive fashion, the goalkeeper managed to sprint back with incredible speed, taking the ball off of the midfield before turning around once more.
Raya was then forced into a slide tackle that he executed perfectly, keeping Arsenal from going two goals down.
While, in the end, it didn’t matter for Arsenal and the result, it was still applauded by the supporters on social media.
One fan said: “We are so lucky to have David Raya.” while another said: “Love Raya, my POTS [player of the season] to be honest.”
Another joked: “We could stick Raya up front next game…” while one fan said: “I am still amazed by that Raya sprint.”
“We left with something, RAYA is HIM,” one supporter said.
“Highlight of the game really is Raya doing a Ronaldo chop,” another added.
It didn’t change much in the game but could prove an important moment for the goal difference of the team in the remaining matches this campaign.
David Raya statistics in the Premier League this season
In the Premier League this season, David Raya has one of the better records overall – sitting joint-second for most clean sheets with nine for the campaign.
With just 23 goals conceded in 26 games, the Spaniard has been a standout option ever since joining the club.
| Apperanaces | Clean sheets | Goals conceded |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 9 | 23 |
Raya and the backline as a whole haven’t been a problem for Arteta, meaning the attention will naturally shift to goal-scoring.
If the hard work at the back can be helped by the scoring at the front, it’s a perfect mixture for the Premier League title.
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