Arsenal signed goalkeeper David Raya permanently from Brentford, giving him permanent status at the Emirates Stadium.
Raya will now be working to solidify his spot in the Spanish national team. The shot-stopper must be proud of his performances for La Roja during the Euros 2024 campaign, even if he played as a second fiddle to Unai Simon.
The Athletic Bilbao star was a mainstay in Luis De la Fuente’s side, and it was difficult to dislodge him given his spectacular form for the country.
MUST READ: Arsenal explored a late move for 25-year-old Brentford ace before signing Raheem Sterling
But a wrist injury has forced him out, at least until the end of the year. Even if Simon returns early, he will not be fit enough to feature in the September and October matches.
The stars have finally aligned for Arsenal keeper Raya to showcase his calibre and take the number-one spot for his country in the Nations League. He will be featuring in four games, starting from Thursday night’s 0-0 draw against Serbia in Belgrade.
David Raya started for Spain and kept another clean sheet last night.
The Arsenal keeper now has three clean sheets in four games for club and country this season. pic.twitter.com/3RhCXGADti
— The Arsenal Times (@Arsenal_Timez) September 6, 2024
The former Brentford star couldn’t have timed this strong form any better, as he kept two clean sheets in three games for the Gooners in the new Premier League season.
MUST READ: Arsenal set to announce new four-year contract with Mikel Arteta
Raya played his A-game vs Serbia as well, preserving another clean sheet for the nation. Several Spanish outlets revealed their post-match ratings, with some praising the Arsenal keeper while others criticising his display.
What has Spanish media said about Raya’s performance against the Eagles?
Spanish publication MARCA gave a 6/10 rating with an optimistic review for both halves. They wrote: ‘He didn’t have many problems in the first half hour of the match, although he looked a bit indecisive when he came out. The first save came after the half-hour mark. He took his fists out on one occasion for the Serbians at the start of the second half. He had no complications and ended up with a clean slate.’
Similarly, AS gave the best verdict, as they said: ‘He did well last night in Belgrade. It was supposed to be a smooth game and he had to work as hard as he knows how.’
But El Desmarque wasn’t happy with his passing skills vs. Serbia, and they wrote: ‘He made some mistakes when passing the ball out with dangerous passes and barely had to intervene from the goal.’
David Raya soaring higher for club and country this season
The 27-year-old played his seventh game for La Roja, keeping his fourth clean sheet and conceding just three goals. He played his only Euro 2024 match against Albania, recording a clean sheet in the process.
His next target would be to put forward another clinical display vs. Switzerland on the 9th of September.
Talking about club football, Raya was in sublime form against Brighton and Hove Albion last week, while he also made two astonishing saves against Aston Villa. He is a strong contender to win Arsenal’s Premier League Player of the Month award (Twice).
The senior shot-stopper was also named in WhoScored’s PL Team of the Month for August (7.61 rating).
Raya has everything on his plate right now, and he just gets better with every passing game. We are about to see the best version of the Spaniard this season.
