Former Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has praised current number-one option David Raya, following a few impressive outings for the Gunners.
The shot-stopper has been the undisputed first-choice for Mikel Arteta for over one year now, featuring heavily under the Arsenal boss.
That’s not to say it has always been easy for David Raya, who brought about questions early in his career by ousting Aaron Ramsdale.
The Arsenal star has since shown he is more than capable of being dependable between the sticks, along with his distribution.
While the Gunners could look to sign a goalkeeper in the summer, it will be unlikely that they are one to improve on Raya right away, with a second-choice option more in mind.
Petr Cech praises Arsenal star David Raya for his different distribution
Petr Cech was a fine goalkeeper during his day, featuring heavily for Chelsea before he made the switch to Arsenal.
The Czech Republic international will likely be remembered as one of the best in the world in his position, holding plenty of records too.
Meeting with another retired goalkeeper in Ben Foster, he discussed the differences in the position that has evolved over time.
Cech noted that very few goalkeepers look to create fast breaks, but did claim that David Raya is one of those who does.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, he said: “I like that about David Raya, for example, he breaks nice. When he gets the ball and he has the chance, he plays fast and he’s one of the few who plays really fast.
“Ederson does it, when he sees the space he kicks it there, Emi Martinez I think does it.”
It’s plenty of praise from the former goalkeeper, who knows exactly what it takes to become a top-level goalkeeper.
Given Raya’s struggles at the start, it’s a sign of a good move that he is often spoken about in this light now.
David Raya key to Arsenal’s fast breaks in transition moments
Arsenal being the force that they are get very few transitional moments in most games, as teams are forced back into a low-to-mid block.
It means most times when they do get them, it comes from defending a set-piece before breaking out into a transition.
With Raya most likely to collect the ball from crosses, it’s important that he utilises them by throwing or kicking into the space.
That’s reflected in the number as, per FBref, he launches 50% of his kicks – excluding from goal kicks.
If Arsenal are to make the most of those moments, it’ll be Raya who has a big part in helping to create them going forward.
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