The "Post" wrote that two years after joining Arsenal, Raya has grown from a controversial signing to the team's undisputed number one goalkeeper and one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Although coach Arteta initially insisted th...
The "Post" wrote that two years after joining Arsenal, Raya has grown from a controversial signing to the team's undisputed number one goalkeeper and one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Although coach Arteta initially insisted that there is no "number one goalkeeper" in the team, Raya completely replaced Ramsdale with his comprehensive ability. The secret of his success lies in three core abilities: top-notch saves, revolutionary passing and control, and absolute dominance of the penalty area.
First of all, in terms of the goalkeeper’s job of saving, Raya is already at the top of the Premier League. Since the beginning of last season, his save success rate in the league has been as high as 73%, and this season it has improved to 83%. Both statistics rank first among goalkeepers who have played more than 10 times.
The more convincing data is the "number of goals prevented". Since the end of November last year, he has prevented 4.1 more goals than expected, second only to Pickford and Sales. This is a testament to his excellent reflexes and agility despite being only 6 feet tall.
Secondly, and the key reason why Arteta fought against all odds to introduce him, was Raya's passing and controlling ability "like a No. 10 player." According to legend, after seeing Ramsdale’s pass error in April 2023, Arteta was determined to introduce a passing goalkeeper. Raya, who comes from a futsal background, fits the bill perfectly. Statistics show that no Premier League goalkeeper has been involved in or initiated more build-ups that ended in shots since last season. He often uses the ball to lure opponents to press and create space for his teammates. This once made Gary Neville criticize him as "like a nervous loser", but it has now become a key tactic for Arsenal to organize attacks from the back.
Finally, Raya’s dominance of the penalty area is equally impressive. He intercepts more than 90% of crosses into the penalty area, and only the 6-foot-5 Martinez has intercepted more crosses since joining Arsenal. In addition, his accurate and fast hand throw has also become a weapon for the team to switch from defense to offense.
In short, Raya has evolved into a modern goalkeeper with few weaknesses. Not only can he complete traditional saving tasks, he is also an indispensable "11th player on the field" and offensive starting point in the team's tactical system, which completely proves how far-sighted Arteta's seemingly risky signing was.
source:Best Web Games
