Mikel Arteta has been responsible for taking a lot of bold decisions since taking charge of Arsenal in December 2019.
While some of his decisions have worked well, some haven’t landed as much as he desired. The biggest decision in recent times was signing David Raya on loan from Brentford to compete with Aaron Ramsdale, who was the first-choice custodian for the Gunners back then.
It was a decision that surprised a lot of people, including experts. They felt Ramsdale was someone who could be a long-term fix for Arsenal in goal, and the Englishman’s performances also suggested the same. He was also a fan favourite which didn’t help either.
However, in no time, Raya made a place for himself in the team and soon he leapfrogged Ramsdale for the no.1 spot between the sticks. A couple of years later, Raya is now one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Recently, during a conversation, former Liverpool defender and football pundit Jamie Carragher lauded Arteta for taking such an audacious decision back then.
“I picked Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season but I was very close to picking David Raya,” Carragher said on The Overlap.
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“Alisson had that performance against PSG and that was one of the best we’ve seen from a goalkeeper, so maybe that stuck in my head. But Raya probably had five or six world-class saves this season. There was one against Aston Villa and Ollie Watkins but it was that long ago that it feels like last season.
“That was one of the best decisions Mikel Arteta made, it was brave because Aaron Ramsdale was a bit of a fans’ favourite, but Arsenal were never going to win anything big with him in goal.
“They haven’t done that with Raya yet, either by the way but it was a good decision.”
His stunning one-handed save to keep out Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins’ header from close range was voted as the Premier League Save of the Month for August 2024.
Could Raya win the Premier League 2024/25 Golden Gloves?
Raya has been one of the most consistent players in Arteta’s Arsenal this season. With 13 clean sheets in the Premier League, he is tied with Newcastle United’s Matz Sels.
With only a single game left in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, both Sels and Raya are competing for the Golden Gloves award.
The Spanish custodian won the Golden Gloves award last season courtesy of his 16 clean sheets, and therefore, he would be eager to defend his title.
Arsenal are facing Southampton in their final league game, whereas Newcastle will host Everton. Both goalkeepers will be keen to add another clean sheet to their season’s tally.
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