Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during training (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
The Spanish shot-stopper impressed at former club Brentford before joining Arsenal, but he seems to be going from strength to strength, especially this season.
As well as being a fine goalkeeper for Arsenal, Raya is also starting to stand out as a big personality in the Gunners squad, and Arteta admits this is part of the 30-year-old now becoming more comfortable with his role at the Emirates Stadium.
During his press conference earlier today, Arteta was asked about Raya and gave the following answer to reporters…
? Mikel Arteta picked David Raya because he has become more of a leader at Arsenal? pic.twitter.com/5CYIMqwgSN
— Caught Offside (@offside Caught) November 7, 2025
“Personally, things are changing. I think his role is obviously much clearer,” Arteta said.
“But David has always been a very determined and confident person. I think he has shown that from the first minute he joined the club.”
David Raya is an important part of Arsenal’s strong defense
Some may joke that it’s easy to be Arsenal’s goalkeeper at the moment, and it’s probably true that Raya is helped by having such a well-drilled back four in front of him.
Arteta has built a very strong defensive line around the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, while others like Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have also played key roles, as well as protecting the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice in midfield.
However, Raya has also made some great saves for AFC and certainly seems like a loud and demanding goalkeeper who knows how to organize the defenders in front of him.
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