The Spaniard initially joined the club on loan at the start of last season and quickly made the number one shirt his own. He displaced Aaron Ramsdale as first-choice goalkeeper, an unpopular decision for some at the time, but quickly won over the fanbase with a string of commanding performances.
Raya capped off his first campaign by winning the Premier League Golden Glove, and after making his move permanent in 2024, he repeated the feat this season, underlining his status as one of the league’s most consistent goalkeepers
According to the club’s official website, Raya has finished third in the 2024–25 voting for Arsenal’s Men’s Player of the Season. The top two places are yet to be revealed, but his inclusion on the podium reflects the immense impact he has had since arriving in North London.
This season has seen Raya shine both domestically and in Europe. He won two Premier League Save of the Month awards, first for a superb reflex stop against Aston Villa in August, and then for a crucial save against Manchester United in March.
He also etched his name into the club’s record books. In December, Raya broke David Seaman’s 32-year-old record for the most clean sheets in a player’s first 50 Premier League appearances for Arsenal. That milestone was reached after a shutout against Ipswich Town, marking his 23rd clean sheet.
Raya’s influence extended to Europe, where he played a key role in Arsenal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals. He kept six clean sheets in 13 appearances and made two memorable penalty saves, denying Atlanta’s Mateo Retegui and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.
Notably, Raya also became the first Arsenal goalkeeper to win consecutive Golden Gloves, and only the third to do so in the Premier League era.
There’s little doubt he merited his place in the final three. Some may feel he deserved to win the award outright, and based on his performances, few would argue against it.
Looking back at his season, what was your standout Raya moment, Gooners? For me, that stunning save to deny Ollie Watkins in August still stands out.
