David Raya was adamant that criticism regarding style of play doesn’t affect Arsenals squad and that ‘boring’ label Arsenal have been hit with is bizarre.
David Raya was full of enthusiasm ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League trip to face Bayern Munich on matchday three of the group phase. However, the goalkeeper strongly refuted any idea of Arsenal’s start to the season being lacklustre.
Arsenal have faced criticism from the media and rival fans for some time over their style of play. Despite the team’s success, many have called Arsenal ‘boring’ and ‘irritating’. When asked whether criticism over the way the team plays affects him and the dressing room, Raya said, ‘No, it doesn’t. People have their own opinions and we have our own opinions. At the end of the day, we have lost one game in eleven games this season. If you call that boring or irritating, I don’t know what to say.’
He added to his pushback on criticism by saying, ‘We enjoy playing football, we enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches and that’s the most important thing.’
Those comments should come as no surprise to any Arsenal fan. Fellow Spaniard Mikel Merino recently spoke about his thoughts on the criticism the team has faced over the past couple of years. He said that the banter and trolling that Arsenal have faced fuelled the team and ultimately was a factor in winning the Premier League.
Whilst the ‘boring’ narrative has mainly been thrown around by rival fans and the media, some Arsenal fans have questioned whether the side are over-reliant on their defence. Despite having the best ‘goals against’ record in the Premier League this season, they rank fifth for ‘goals scored’ and fourth for ‘expected goals’, with the biggest expected goals over-performance in the league.
When asked about the disparity in attacking quality and defensive quality this season, Raya said, ‘I think we can improve in every single aspect, from the defence to the attack. Nowadays we demand a lot in every single position, so I think we can improve in every single attack and I think we will. The goals will come in, that’s it, that’s the most important thing.’
It’s no secret that Arsenal are better defensively than they are offensively; the numbers speak for themselves. A big reason for that is David Raya himself. The sweeper-keeper has won the Premier League Golden Glove award in the last three consecutive seasons and has subsequently been nominated for the 2026 Yashin Award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
‘I’m delighted to hear those comments [the best goalkeeper in the world] and what people think, especially you guys. I think that I’ve had a remarkable season, I picked up where I left off, which has been the best for myself and my team to try to win matches. I’m nominated and hopefully I’m in the conversation for winning it [the Yashin Award],’ Raya said when questioned whether he thinks he’s the best goalkeeper in the world right now.
Raya is certainly playing at a truly elite level right now, but the insight into his and the squad’s harmony against criticism is great to see for Arsenal fans. This season has already seen many players speak more confidently against their doubters. Winning the Premier League title certainly would’ve helped, but a first Champions League win in the club’s history would surely make this group feel invincible.