Did David Raya deserve the PL golden glove
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya won the Castrol Golden Glove Award 2023/24 after keeping his 15th clean sheet of the Premier League season in a 3-0 win over AFC Bournemouth on Matchday 36. The 28-year-old goalkeeper beat off competition from his closest rival, Everton’s Jordan Pickford, who kept 13 clean sheets at the time of writing to claim the award in his first season with the Gunners .
The Arsenal goalkeeper managed to achieve the remarkable feat despite missing the first four matches of the season after joining the north London side on loan from Brentford. He achieved his first clean sheet in Arsenal colors on his debut against Everton.
Raya began his senior career at Blackburn Rovers before moving to Brentford in 2019 where he put in some impressive performances in goal, earning him praise for his shot-stopping ability, command of the box and distribution skills. His performances for the Bees caught the eye of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who secured the goalkeeper’s signing in the summer of 2023 to compete with Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
Raya established himself as Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper in his first season, replacing England keeper Aaron Ramsdale. His ability to command his area with authority and make crucial saves when necessary has also brought a certain sense of assurance and solidity to the Arsenal backline. It’s no surprise Arsenal Tickets have seen an increase in demand since the start of 2024.
Arsenal’s almost impenetrable defense
The defensive partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães played a fundamental role in Arsenal’s quest for the Premier League title. The Gunners have conceded a significantly lower number of shots than other teams in the league and it is no surprise that this has also benefited the man between the sticks.
For most goalkeepers, the importance of a truly strong backline cannot be overstated, as a porous defense exposes the man between the sticks to too many shots from opposing attackers, inevitably increasing the chances of concessions beginning.
Under Arteta’s instructions, the Gunners adopt an almost perfect out-of-possession structure characterized by an aggressive and suffocating press. Arsenal have the fewest goals conceded in the Premier League this season, with 28. Their expected goals against (xGA) stands at a low of 18.52, with their xGA total for 2024 at just 1.90. Remarkably, this figure is more than three and a half times lower than the next best team, Manchester City.
Generally, Arteta’s Arsenal use a high-intensity pressing style, but with a strategic approach. Unlike the relentless pressing styles of teams like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, the Gunners have specific triggers that prompt them to shift to an aggressive man-to-man pressing system in an attempt to apply pressure, stifling opponents and regain possession effectively.
Statistics show that Arsenal are second in the Premier League for possessions won in the final third, recording 173 times. They rank second in high end-of-shoot turnovers, totaling 52 occurrences, and fourth in total rushing, which stands at 380.
How Raya’s season compares to past Golden Glove winners
There is no doubt about David Raya’s quality as a shooter. However, the Spaniard has enjoyed a relatively uneventful campaign between the sticks for the Gunners this season, thanks to Arteta’s masterful defensive tactics.
This season in the Premier League, Raya has faced just 65 shots, including 42 saves to total a save percentage of 67.7% in 30 league matches for the Gunners, culminating with 15 clean sheets at the time of the editorial staff. Let’s take a look at how these stats compare to some recent past winners.
David de Gea won the Golden Glove award for the 2022/23 Premier League season as Manchester United goalkeeper. In 38 league appearances for the Red Devils last season, De Gea faced 144 shots and made 101 saves to total a save percentage of 70.14%, keeping 17 clean sheets.
Manchester City’s Ederson Moraes and Liverpool’s Alisson Becker have both been awarded the Golden Glove award for the 2021/22 Premier League season. The Brazilians have made 37 and 36 appearances respectively for their respective teams. Ederson made a total of 60 saves on 86 shots on his goal to total a save percentage of 69.77% while Alisson made 76 saves on 100 shots on his goal to total a save percentage of 76, 00%. They each had 20 shutouts.
Ederson won the Golden Glove award for the 2020/21 Premier League season, playing 36 league matches for Manchester City and recording 66 saves from the 94 shots he faced to total a save percentage of 70.21%. . The Brazilian goalkeeper managed to keep 19 clean sheets.
From the numbers above, it’s easy to tell that Raya has benefited from an easier break-in in goal, compared to recent Golden Glove winners. However, that doesn’t mean Raya isn’t deserving of this award in any way.
Other worthy contenders
Raya’s clean sheet total and Arsenal’s defensive solidity were the most important factors that ultimately saw him receive the Golden Glove award ahead of competition from Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Manchester City’s Ederson Moraes and Bernd Leno of Fulham.
Pickford has managed 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Everton this season, recording 113 saves from 159 shots to total a save percentage of 74.2%. Leno has kept 10 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Fulham this season, making 124 saves from 175 shots faced, totaling a save percentage of 72.0%.
Other goalkeepers with a more impressive save percentage than this season’s Premier League Golden Glove winner Raya include Wolves’ Jose Sa, Manchester United’s Andre Onana, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker and West Ham’s Alphonse Areola United.
Although David Raya has been impressive for the Gunners in his first season, whether or not he deserves the Golden Glove award is subjective and open to interpretation. Ultimately, every Golden Glove winner always reflects the defense in front of them and that helped Raya greatly.
