Sir Alex Ferguson's famous adage, "Forwards win you games, defenders win you championships," proved prophetic as Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for an English league title. While attacking stars like Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard rightly garnered attention, the foundation of Arsenal's triumph was defensive discipline. At the heart of that solidity stood goalkeeper David Raya.
Record-Breaking Clean Sheets
Goalkeepers often work tirelessly without the same acclaim as goal scorers. Raya has kept 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances this season, equaling the club record set by David Seaman in the 1993-94 and 1998-99 seasons. He can surpass Seaman with another clean sheet against Crystal Palace in the final match.
Defensive System
Raya has greatly benefited from Arsenal's defensive style, a fundamental aspect of Mikel Arteta's philosophy. The no-nonsense centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes has been instrumental in countering opposition attacks, with the newly crowned champions conceding only 26 goals all season.
Interestingly, Raya has averaged just 1.6 saves per game this season, the fewest in the Premier League. This underscores the effectiveness of Arteta's defensive game plan. For context, Raya made no saves in the crucial 1-0 win against Burnley on Monday. He admitted that limited action made it harder to stay focused and maintain clean sheets.
Comparisons to Chelsea's 2005-06 Season
This resonates with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side and Petr Cech's influence in their 2005-06 campaign. Cech, also a former Arsenal player, holds the league's all-time record for clean sheets in a season (24 in 35 appearances) in 2004-05.
Impact in Tight Games
Arsenal has won eight games 1-0 and 14 games by a single goal margin out of 25 wins. Raya's critical saves kept the team alive in those matches, proving decisive. In May, where Arsenal faltered in the previous three seasons, Raya delivered four consecutive clean sheets.
Individual Accolades and National Team
Raya has been exceptional over the last three seasons, deservedly winning the Golden Glove. With three consecutive best goalkeeping awards, he is on track to become a legendary figure in Arsenal's history. However, he faces stiff competition from Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon, who has long been Spain's number one. Raya has only 12 caps for Spain. It remains to be seen how long head coach Luis de la Fuente can keep the Premier League champion on the bench during the World Cup.
