Arsenal are seeing the best version of David Raya at exactly the right time, and the Spaniard has now explained how a rough early spell forced him to change.
The 30-year-old is Arsenal’s undisputed starter for a third straight season,Spain’s expected World Cup goalkeeper, and one of the key figures behind the club reaching the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years.
That reality looked much less certain when he arrived from Brentford in the summer of 2023.
Speaking to Spanish programme Universo Valdano, in comments relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Raya reflected on the pressure of joining Arsenal while Aaron Ramsdale was still firmly established as fan favourite.
“I arrived at a club with a number one goalkeeper, which was Aaron Ramsdale, very loved by the fans, by the teammates, by the staff… a tremendous goalkeeper, a top goalkeeper,” Raya explained.
The Spaniard admitted he initially tried to approach things naturally.
“At the start I went out to play, to enjoy myself, and then there comes a moment where I don’t have a good match, against Luton, which I think is the worst match of my career. Even though we won 3-4, I wasn’t good.”
That December 2023 game ended up becoming the defining moment of his Arsenal career.
Luton match changed everything
David Raya explained the fallout from that performance made him fully understand the scale of being Arsenal’s goalkeeper. It was his dream after all, as the player himself once described.
“That’s when I realise the magnitude of everything behind it,” he said. “Even though I’m not someone who looks at social media or reads much press, I realise everything, that you can’t have two number one goalkeepers.”
Raya then revealed how low he felt during that period.
“I hit the floor and think: I can only go upwards from here.”
The goalkeeper insists there is now “a before and after” version of himself at Arsenal.
“From there, there’s a before and after of David at Arsenal,” he explained. “I maybe had a few matches where I wasn’t being myself and I said: ‘Things need to change.’”
Those changes were not tactical or psychological in his eyes. Instead, Raya focused heavily on habits and professionalism.
“My habits during the day, my morning routine, my nutrition, my schedules, little things step by step… they’re professional changes.”
He also wanted to make one thing clear.
“More day-to-day changes than mentality, because I’m mentally strong and one mistake doesn’t condition the rest of the match for me.”
Raya does not frame this period as a mental collapse. Instead, he presents it as adapting to the demands of elite football at Arsenal.
From Brentford level to Arsenal pressure
Raya also detailed how different life became after leaving Brentford.
“It’s not the same playing three matches per week compared to one with Brentford,” he explained.
The goalkeeper then gave a glimpse into the routines he now follows to cope with Arsenal’s demands.
“For example, now every morning I get into cold water five minutes after waking up,” he said. “Food as well, because if you’re carrying a few extra kilos, it harms you during the week and at the weekend.”
Recently we relayed other comments from him reminiscing about his path. But those adjustments have clearly worked.
Arsenal sealed his deal in 2024 for €31.9m (£27.3m), and Raya has since become one of Arteta’s most trusted players.
He reached 100 Premier League appearances for Arsenal in March. Arsenal’s official figures say he recorded 43 clean sheets in those first 100 league games, more than any goalkeeper in the club’s history at that stage.
This season, he has again been among the Premier League’s best performers statistically, with 17 clean sheets in 35 league appearances.
What happens next
David Raya’s comments also help explain why Arsenal backed him so aggressively during the Ramsdale debate.
At the time, the decision created noise inside and outside the club. Ramsdale remained hugely popular, and every mistake from Raya became part of a wider argument.
Now, that conversation feels distant. Raya is heading towards the biggest matches of his career with Arsenal still fighting for major honours and Spain preparing for the World Cup.
The goalkeeper himself seems to view the Luton disaster as the moment everything sharpened into focus. For Arsenal, that probably sounds like a worthwhile trade-off now.