Why Arsenal fans faced a harsh outcome despite an outstanding performance

Despite his impressive form and successive clean sheets, David Raya received criticism from an Arsenal fan who considered him worse than Aaron Ramsdale.

Even as the main goalkeeper showing strong form, David Raya faced doubts from some Arsenal fans about his quality. Recently, a “Gunners” supporter sparked controversy by claiming the Spanish keeper “is not as good as Aaron Ramsdale,” prompting former midfielder Danny Murphy to defend him.

On the broadcast White and Jordan, a fan named David openly shared his opinion: “I believe David Raya is not as good as Ramsdale. He often hesitates, especially when making saves.

There have been many occasions when Raya just punches the ball straight in front, which is very risky if the defense doesn’t react quickly. He seems to look good mainly because of a solid defense. I’m convinced he will eventually make a serious mistake.”

The fan further emphasized that Raya’s performance is just an “illusion” created by the excellent defensive system Mikel Arteta has built. However, many believe this judgment is too harsh, especially since Raya currently has the highest clean sheet rate in Europe.

In the match against Atletico Madrid, Raya had a heart-stopping moment when he rushed out of the box to intercept the ball but was closely pressured by an opponent. His rushed action forced the 30-year-old goalkeeper to clear the ball out of bounds, and from the quick throw-in that followed, Julian Alvarez nearly scored into an empty net. Fortunately, the Argentine striker’s shot missed the post by a narrow margin.

Following this incident, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy spoke up to support Raya. He said: “I think that fan is in the minority. Most people see Arsenal playing much better since Raya joined. He’s an excellent goalkeeper who brings confidence to the defense.”

Raya joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford in 2023 and was permanently signed a year later. He is the reason Aaron Ramsdale, who had been Arsenal’s first-choice keeper for three seasons, left Emirates to join Southampton and is now reportedly on loan at Newcastle.

To date, Raya has played 107 matches for the “Gunners” and has yet to concede a goal in this season’s Champions League. He is also a member of the Spanish national team that recently won the Nations League and Euro, proving his status as one of Europe’s elite goalkeepers.