Arsenal are preparing for their final game of the season this weekend and David Seaman has admitted one player has proven him wrong a touch.
The Gunners know that they are unlikely to win the Premier League title but will be looking to see off Everton and hope Manchester City somehow slip up against West Ham.
For Mikel Arteta, he’ll want it to be business as usual and see his Arsenal team go out on a high regardless of the title.
That means his best players doing their jobs as they have all season. The likes of William Saliba and Gabriel will be expected to keep solid at the back, while the forwards will need to get the goals.
Indeed, another player who will just get on with his job is goalkeeper, David Raya. And according to former Gunners stopper David Seaman, Raya has actually proven both he and any doubters wrong.
David Seaman impressed by David Raya at Arsenal this season
Speaking on TalkSPORT this morning about the decision to bring Raya in, Seaman admitted to being really impressed with the stopper after initially having questions over the pressure difference at Brentford and Arsenal.
“David Raya has come in, he has settled everything down, he has got used to playing for Arsenal. When he first came in, he found it difficult because when he first came in, everybody was telling me about his stats, that they are miles better than Aaron’s and everything, and I was like, ‘Hang on, guys, stats are really good for Brentford, the pressure (at Arsenal) is different’. And he struggled a little bit, if we are honest, to start to settle in, but now, especially with the defence, we have not had any injuries,” Seaman said.
“So, that’s been brilliant. The back-four has been settled. Obviously, the left-back situation has changed a bit, but the defensive unit has been brilliant.
“That’s looked after him. He has come in, he is brilliant with his feet, there’s no doubt about that, that’s what Mikel Arteta, he wanted doing the short passes in and out so that they can get up.
“Yeah, it has been a good season for him, to get the Golden Glove. It is a massive compliment and congratulations to David Raya.”
A £30m bargain
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Arsenal will end up paying around £30m for David Raya and you have to say, it looks a bargain.
When you look at the top teams who win, they have brilliant goalkeepers. Liverpool paid over £60m to sign Alisson while Man United forked out £50m plus on Andre Onana last summer.
Man City star Ederson was around £35m, but that was seven years ago and regarded as huge money for a stopper at the time.
Arsenal, then have really done the business in getting David Raya for the price they did.
They might not win the title, but Raya has more than done his job and as Seaman says, the Golden Glove is a nod to that performance level.