**Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is backing David Raya for the PFA Player of the Year.**
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is the favourite for the accolade, with Declan Rice also among the leading contenders, but Vieira thinks Raya deserves recognition for his performances this season:
“I will go with, of course, one of the Arsenal players. David Raya, for me, has to be the Player of the Season. I think he was outstanding from the first game until the end of the season. I think he was really impressive; he made some really important saves.”
“He won points for Arsenal. For me, I don’t see any other players who were outstanding, I would say. We always go for forward or creative players. Why not a defender and why not a goalkeeper? I think David, for me, will have my vote.”
Goalkeepers rarely win the PFA Player of the Year
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While Raya has had a standout season, keeping 19 clean sheets in 37 league appearances, it is very uncommon for a keeper to come out on top in the voting for an individual award.
You have to go all the way back to 1978 for the last time the PFA prize went to a shot-stopper. That was Nottingham Forest’s Peter Shilton.
Arsenal are focused on winning 2 big trophies
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While the Gunners may not be in the running for individual honours, they are very much in contention to win two of the most prestigious competitions in club football.
[**Victory over Burnley**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-player-ratings-burnley/) on Monday night means that Mikel Arteta’s side are just one win away from securing their first Premier League title in 22 years.
They have also reached the final of the Champions League. Winning a historic double would be priceless for both the players and fans.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)