David Raya knows exactly why William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are so good for Arsenal

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David Raya’s job at Arsenal is made so much easier by having William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, and the goalkeeper has revealed their secret.

Last weekend, Arsenal conceded for the first time in 13 hours, highlighting just how impenetrable the Gunners have been this season.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	ArsenalArsenal	11	8	2	1	20	5	15	26

In the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s team have conceded just five times, which has been a big factor behind them being top of the table.

Now, the team’s star goalkeeper has been speaking about what makes him and his teammates so difficult to break down.

David Raya hails William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for Arsenal

David Raya believes that William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes’ love of defending and their desire to stop teams from even getting chances is what makes Arsenal so good.

Recently, former Gunner Laurent Koscielny named Gabriel and Saliba as the best defensive partnership in the Premier League, and they have proven that for sure.

When asked why Arsenal’s defence is so tough to breach, Raya told ESPN: “Well, I think the difficulty is that we love to defend. The love of defending, the love of not conceding, not just goals, but also chances.

“Trying to stop teams further up the pitch with the pressing, and then if they push us back into a low block, it’s just that love of defending and not letting the ball go into the box.”

It’s worth noting that the likes of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori also help form the Gunners’ solid defence.

Timber and Calafiori have been excellent for Arsenal this season, and are two of the underrated components of Arteta’s team.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes compared to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero

Ahead of the North London derby, Saliba and Gabriel are set to go head-to-head with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Both clubs have assembled strong defensive partnerships; however, it’s clear that Arsenal’s pairing stands out significantly.

The Arsenal duo have conceded an average of 0.78 goals per game, whereas Van de Ven and Romero are at 1.36 goals per game.

It’s a huge game for the Gunners, who will be looking to bounce back from the disappointment of conceding a 94th-minute equaliser away at Sunderland just before the international break.