Arsenal's MVP is now Mikel Arteta's fifth defender due to game-changing tactical shift
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal defence has shown signs of reaching new heights already this season
Time and time again, David Raya has come up trumps for Arsenal. The Spaniard, who remarkably still warms the bench for the World Cup-winning national team, is now rightfully considered the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Some might argue that there is no better shot-stopper in all of world football and given the way Raya is playing, it's hard to build a case against such a claim. Last Saturday in a hostile Stadium of Light, the 31-year-old kept out Enzo Le Fee's penalty before sub Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring for the Gunners.
The Premier League champions went on to win 2-0 in a victory that could well prove imperative come the end of the season. It was a triumph that required courage, character and guts, all of which Raya had in abundance in the North East.
When we talk about Raya, he's often lauded for his handling or reflexes. This season there has been a slight shift and greater appreciation for his kicking and distribution skills.
What also goes under the radar is his importance in the build-up. Arsenal love to play out from the back but it's not quite as simple as just shuffling it around from centre-back to full-back and back inside.
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Most of the time, Raya takes it upon himself to create an angle or to boss one of his defenders or midfielders into position because he can see the whole picture.
The stats behind it all are quite frightening. That's because in the Premier League alone this season, no goalkeeper has run more than the Spain international (26.8km).
Per 90, Raya is averaging around 6.7km. Again, no goalkeeper is averaging more. Even Raya's top speed of 29.8km/h has not been matched by any of his goalkeeping peers.
He's made more sprints than them too (five this season) and averages more (1.3) per 90 minutes.
These are quite frankly absurd numbers for a goalkeeper but what they indicate is that Raya is always actively looking to impact the game - even if opponents are not able to test his goal.
Naturally, Arsenal usually have a greater share of possession but instead of sitting in his box, Raya is always trying to affect play. More often than not, you will also see him sprinting over to the sidelines to get further instructions.
David Raya has been exceptional for Arsenal this season(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
A modern-day goalkeeper cannot just be about keeping the ball out of the net. Managers want good shot-stoppers who are imposing from set-plays, have the technical ability and are comfortable enough to play out from the back by baiting attackers into a press.
Raya ticks just about every box and while initially it was a head-scratcher to see him replace Aaron Ramsdale, you cannot deny it's a change that's paid huge dividends.
His growing importance at the Emirates is one of the reasons Arsenal only appear to be getting stronger. While only four games have been played to date, Raya is already averaging more distance covered per 90 minutes (6.7km) than he did last season (6.6km) in the top-flight.
He's also averaging more sprints (0.8 last season) per 90 and more clean sheets per 90 (0.75), typifying his clear desire to continue improving in just about every metric.
David Raya was exceptional for Arsenal in last weekend's win at Sunderland(Image: Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)
Of course, the sample size is far smaller but his save percentage (87.5) is currently the best in the entire division alongside Hull City's Konstantinos Tzolakis. Last season, it was 69.8 in the Premier League, so there's been a sizeable shift in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Arsenal are probably the tightest defensive unit in all of world football. But they've now found a way to use Raya's wide-ranging qualities to their advantage as Arteta continues to evolve the team's playing style.
Raya's speed means the defensive line can play slightly higher as his ability to sweep things up offers an extra layer of protection. Depending on the opponent, Arsenal can tinker with their shape accordinglyy
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