Jamie O’Hara has made a few bold statements about Arsenal over the years.
From constantly backing Tottenham Hotspur to beat the Gunners, to going as far as saying they would finish above Mikel Arteta’s side and even win the Premier League, he has had his moments.
Of course, a lot of those comments are intended as entertainment, but now, O’Hara has said something seriously that’s really baffling.
The former Spurs midfielder thinks David Raya is not even among the five best goalkeepers in the world, and he has explained why.
TRUE or FALSE: David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world…
Jamie O’Hara names five goalkeepers who are better than Arsenal star David Raya
Raya is having an incredible season at Arsenal.
The Spaniard has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League and Champions League than any other goalkeeper. He has pulled off some incredible saves as well.
On Tuesday, Raya won the Player of the Match award as Arsenal beat Sporting CP in Lisbon. He was outstanding in that game and one of the reasons why they came out on top.
Since then, many people have rightly branded the Arsenal number one as the best goalkeeper in the world right now, but Jamie O’Hara has decided to be a bit different.
The pundit is adamant that Raya is not the best. In fact, he thinks the former Brentford man doesn’t even make it into the top five.
O’Hara’s top five goalkeepers in the world are Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manuel Neuer, Alisson and Jordan Pickford.
When asked about Raya, he said on Sky Sports: “No, for me, he’s not in there. I’ll say it again, he’s not Spain’s number one. He’s not a clear, obvious starter.
“Jordan Pickford, for me, is an unbelievable goalie. I think Jordan Pickford, along with Alisson and Donnarumma, we’ve got three Premier League keepers there. Donnarumma, for me, is my number one Premier League goalie.
“I think he’s just incredible. People moan about his feet, but we’re talking about a proper goalkeeper who makes big saves at big moments. Donnarumma for me is there.”
O’Hara was then asked how he could choose Alisson over Raya based on their performances this season.
He replied: “You’ve got to remember, Alisson is an incredible goalie, but his defence has let him down this season. Van Dijk has not played well, Konate has been terrible, Kerkez has been nowhere near it, and Frimpong’s nowhere near it.
“We talk about David Raya being a great goalkeeper, but he’s got four players in front of him who have had incredible seasons as well.”
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Jamie O’Hara’s comment on David Raya is one of the worst we’ve ever heard
It’s understandable that O’Hara, a Tottenham fan and a former Spurs player, does not want to include an Arsenal star on his list, but he can just say so.
Raya, in our opinion, is the best goalkeeper in the world by a distance, but you could make a case for Courtois because of how good he is.
But to say Donnarumma, Alisson and Pickford are anywhere near Raya’s level based on this season’s performance is utterly ridiculous.
Furthermore, O’Hara’s argument that Arsenal have a better defence compared to Liverpool doesn’t make much sense either because the percentage of shots Raya has saved – 90 per cent in the Champions League – is higher than anyone else.
O’Hara has had a lot of controversial opinions over the years, but this may just be the worst.
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