Jamie Redknapp has praised David Raya, calling him “definitely” the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and “maybe” the best in the world after a pivotal victory by Arsenal over West Ham. The Gunners are now close to securing the Premier League title following a dramatic 1-0 win against their London rivals on Sunday.
The match initially looked like it might cost Arsenal crucial points in the title race, as they struggled against relegation-battling West Ham for over 80 minutes at the London Stadium. It seemed as though Arsenal could have even fallen behind in the final stages, but Raya’s incredible save from Mateus Fernandes prevented that.
The Gunners eventually broke through, with Leandro Trossard scoring from Martin Odegaard’s pass, sparking celebrations among the away fans. However, more drama unfolded when West Ham thought they had equalised in injury time through Callum Wilson, only for the goal to be ruled out after a lengthy VAR check. This decision allowed Arsenal to move closer to their first Premier League title since 2004, while West Ham faced an even tougher path toward avoiding relegation.
Redknapp described Raya’s earlier save as “unbelievable” and credited manager Mikel Arteta for sanctioning Arsenal’s move to sign the Spanish goalkeeper in 2023. Since joining from Brentford three years ago, Raya has become one of the top goalkeepers in the world, winning three consecutive Golden Glove awards in the Premier League.
This season alone, the 30-year-old has kept 18 clean sheets in 36 league games, securing another Golden Glove award with two matches remaining. Only three other goalkeepers in Premier League history have won the award in three consecutive seasons: Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Joe Hart (Manchester City), and Ederson (Manchester City).
“Back then, I wasn’t sure about that decision,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports. “Arsenal already had a good goalkeeper in Aaron Ramsdale. I was thinking, ‘why are you making that change?’”
“But this season, Raya has shown he’s definitely the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and maybe the best in the world. That save was unbelievable. You have to give the goalkeeper credit. He stands up and flicks out his right foot. It’s an incredible save.”
Arteta also praised Raya’s performance, calling the save “incredible” and describing it as a “magic moment” that could be decisive in winning the title. “When you talk about magic moments, this is certainly one of the most needed ones as well to pull off with that save,” he said.
Looking ahead, Arsenal hopes to conclude a successful Premier League campaign with a home game against Burnley and a trip to Crystal Palace. They will then face holders PSG in their first Champions League final since 2006, aiming to complete a historic double.
Arsenal reached the final by defeating Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, while PSG continued their title defence with a narrow win over Bayern Munich.
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