David Raya is now certain to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove after Luton’s Elijah Adebayo scored against nearest rival Jordan Pickford.
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Pickford failed to keep clean sheet versus LutonRaya's move still not made permanentCech the last Arsenal player to win awardWHAT HAPPENED?
Raya has kept 14 clean sheets in 29 league appearances for Arsenal this season, conceding only 23 goals. Everton’s Pickford, his nearest rival, had to prevent Luton from scoring at Kenilworth Road in order to stand a chance of winning the award outright, as the England No.1 boasted a record of 12 clean sheets with three games remaining prior to kick-off. But he could not prevent Adebayo cancelling out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s opener, meaning Raya has officially won the award for the most clean sheets in 2023/24.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Mikel Arteta’s gamble to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Raya after bringing in the Spaniard on loan from Brentford last summer has certainly paid off. While the 28-year-old stopper has made a few mistakes, including for Cristian Romero’s goal in last weekend’s 3-2 win over Tottenham, he has proven his worth in all areas and looks certain to have his move to the Emirates made permanent.
DID YOU KNOW?
Raya is the first Arsenal player to win the Golden Glove since Petr Cech way back in 2015-16. That season, the Czech custodian kept 16 clean sheets as the Gunners finished second in the table behind Leicester.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RAYA AND ARSENAL?
Winning an individual award is always nice, but Raya will be fully focused on Arsenal’s assignment against Bournemouth tomorrow. Victory in the early kick-off will keep the pressure on Manchester City in the title race – and another clean sheet will ensure that Pickford cannot even equal his total.
