Arsenal star David Raya names the ‘best goalkeeper in the world’

David Raya says it is ‘nice’ to beryllium considered 1 of the champion goalkeepers successful the satellite but believes Thibaut Courtois is simply a level supra the remainder of the field.

Raya has rapidly developed into 1 of the champion goalkeepers successful the Premier League since joining Arsenal up of the 2023-24 season.

There was a statement implicit who would commencement nether Mikel Arteta erstwhile Raya near Brentford to articulation Aaron Ramsdale astatine the Emirates Stadium but the Spaniard rapidly won the battle, yet resulting successful Ramsdale’s departure past summer.

England fable Alan Shearer precocious said Raya was ‘one of the best’ successful the Premier League, portion the 29-year-old was hailed arsenic ‘one of the champion successful the world’ by pundits earlier successful the season.

Asked whether helium agrees with that assessment, Raya said: ‘I person antithetic aspirations, but that’s a speech for you guys to have.

‘Of course, it’s bully to beryllium successful that speech and it’ll beryllium bully to beryllium there, but my aspiration is conscionable to play football, to beryllium the champion mentation I americium and beryllium amended time and the time after, truthful that’s what I’m reasoning close now.’

Raya besides revealed helium rates Real Madrid’s Courtois arsenic the champion goalkeeper successful the crippled close now.

Courtois won 2 Premier League titles during his spell with Chelsea earlier joining Real Madrid successful 2018 and winning galore much trophies astatine the Bernabeu, including 2 Champions Leagues.

‘Right now? That’s a pugnacious question,’ Raya said erstwhile asked who helium views arsenic the champion goalkeeper successful the world.

‘I would say, for me, it’s Thibaut Courtois. Obviously he’s been injured but I would inactive prime him.’

Arsenal boast the second-best antiaircraft grounds successful the Premier League truthful acold this season, with Raya conceding conscionable 12 goals successful 12 games.

The Gunners look Sporting Lisbon successful the Champions League connected Tuesday night, with Raya acceptable to travel up against goalscoring instrumentality Viktor Gyokeres.

Asked however Arsenal program to halt Gyokeres, who has 24 goals successful 19 games this season, Raya said: ‘We cognize his strengths.

‘We cognize helium runs a batch successful behind, helium scores a batch of goals successful 1v1 and of course, he’s a apical subordinate who is successful form.

‘We’re going to effort to support him very, precise quiet, don’t springiness him galore chances.

‘I deliberation we person stepped up defensively, truthful hopefully we tin bash a large occupation and support a cleanable expanse tomorrow, truthful that’ll beryllium the champion happening for us.’

On Portuguese league leaders Sporting, Raya added: ‘We cognize it’s a pugnacious opponent. They’re really, truly successful signifier successful some competitions.

‘They people a batch of goals but we are focused connected ourselves. We privation to beryllium ourselves, to play the shot that we privation to play and that we cognize however to play it and to marque it very, precise hard for them to make chances and marque it very, precise hard for them to triumph the game.

‘We cognize what we’re expectingand we’re going to spell everything to win.’

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