The stress test of a title race brings moments of unadulterated torture.
For a split second, in stoppage time against Chelsea’s 10 men, time slowed down for Arsenal, almost to a freeze frame. Alejandro Garnacho’s lofted cross-shot spun through the air. Joao Pedro and Gabriel wrestled and fell as they lurched to attempt contact with it. “My heart almost stopped,” confessed Mikel Arteta. Well, his and around 60,000 other hearts. “But David’s hand was there to bring it back to life.”
It was a remarkable moment. A pivotal one, maybe. More context will come in due course. But for now, it preserved the latest in a string of results Arsenal crave. Raya was on full alert, ready to react, and he exhibited razor-sharp instincts to suddenly adjust, pushing every sinew in his body to claw the ball to safety.
Arteta was full of admiration. “David is one of our leaders without a doubt, and he’s a ‘keeper that knows how to maintain his focus and decide a football match when you need it,” he added. “Because sometimes he doesn’t participate at all, and then in one action you have to be there, and that’s very, very difficult to do.”
Teams don’t win leagues, or even compete to try to win them, without a high-calibre goalkeeper. When games get skittish and unpredictable, when momentum lurches and opponents glimpse chances to deliver a sucker punch, the goalkeeper is the last line of resistance. Invariably it is him and him alone. That responsibility is not for everyone.
Raya has had a couple of difficult moments this season — implicated in stoppage time concessions at Wolves and Sunderland — but they are rare. Overall, he has been an exceptional presence.
It still bears remembering the scepticism that greeted his arrival from Brentford in the summer of 2023. He came in and replaced the popular Aaron Ramsdale with surprising haste, and the challenge to find his own sense of belonging took time. Now he is a trusted foundation stone of the team, with the blend of reliable character, reflex shot-stopping, aerial composure and passing ability to truly help his team.
David Raya celebrates with Arsenal’s fans (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
When Petr Cech joined Arsenal from Chelsea many moons ago, John Terry remarked how Cech was the kind of goalkeeper who wins his team points. As it turned out Cech was past his peak and that impact didn’t fully translate in north London. But the point is an important one given the situation Arsenal are in. Raya won Arsenal points here, ensuring the two goals they scored from set pieces were enough of a cushion.
The game needed those precision attacks because it was a bit wild and reckless, laced with loose touches, constant turnovers, and tense uncertainty.
Arsenal began with a ferocious press which hassled Chelsea, and their goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in particular, into mistakes. But this was not a day when their attacking ruthlessness was switched on. They were shot shy.
So it was timely to reconnect with the joy of the set piece. Bukayo Saka floated his corner into the far post, where Gabriel jumped what appeared to be several metres above his markers to redirect the ball across the goalmouth. His defensive partner in crime William Saliba nodded on and the ball ricocheted in.
All Arsenal’s defenders were involved in goals and Piero Hincapie was crestfallen when he glanced in Chelsea’s equaliser. His full-back partner Jurrien Timber was on hand to reassert the lead from Declan Rice’s delivery.
The feverish energy of the match seldom let up. Raya had quite a bit to deal with. He had to rescue his compatriot when Martin Zubimendi rashly passed to him despite the conspicuous presence of Pedro in the way. Then there was a reaction flick when a Chelsea corner deflected off Rice’s upper arm, prompting a VAR check. In punching away a high ball he also caught Pedro, which was cleared by the officials. There was very little peace for either team during the 96 minutes of play.
Raya punches clear, taking Joao Pedro with him (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal have a tendency for the latter part of games, which ideally would be an exercise in control, to feel akin to hurtling down a helterskelter. Despite Neto’s red card, it remained a whirling ordeal.
“Obviously, we weren’t getting the dominance and the sequences of play that we wanted and expected against the 10 men,” Arteta said. “So you have to navigate through that. It’s a big part of the game, and when you see the manner other teams are winning games, everybody’s suffering. The margins are so small.”
Fortunately, Raya was switched on to win the mental and technical battle of small margins. At the final whistle he turned around to the North Bank and screamed, raising his fists, sharing the moment with the supporters. Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived and engulfed him a hug. Goalies know. They recognise in each other the special moments of pressure, of responsibility, of deliverance. This was one of them.