David Raya continues to make history between the posts for Arsenal, with the club now matching a 122-year-old record after a 3-0 Champions League win at Slavia Prague. The Spanish goalkeeper helped Arsenal secure their eighth consecutive clean sheet, part of a 10-match winning run, as the team equalled a defensive milestone last set in 1903.
Raya’s alertness was on full display late in the match when he prepared for a penalty—later overturned by VAR—that could have ended his streak. The 30-year-old has now gone 12 hours and 56 minutes without conceding, making just seven saves in four Champions League games.
Since joining from Brentford in 2023, Raya has quickly become indispensable under Mikel Arteta, registering 50 clean sheets in 110 games and boasting the Premier League’s best save rate (84.2%) this season.
Arteta praised Raya’s sharpness and consistency:
“It’s the way he trains every single day and how he anticipates things. David is exceptional at that.”
Working closely with goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña, Raya has evolved from a reactive shot-stopper into a proactive sweeper-keeper. His speed and high positioning—reaching 31.34km/h in the Champions League—have been key to Arsenal’s defensive transformation.
As Arsenal prepare to face Sunderland, Raya insists there’s no room for complacency:
“You never know when the other team is going to have a chance. You have to be alert for 90 or 100 minutes every game.”
Arsenal’s run marks the first time in over a century that an English top-flight side has won eight straight matches without conceding—a testament to both Raya’s evolution and the team’s growing resilience.
