At a Glance:
- Declan Rice praises David Raya after Arsenal beat Burnley.
- Rice makes huge admission about Raya’s importance.
- Raya could become an Arsenal legend very soon.
David Raya has been a revelation for Arsenal ever since Mikel Arteta’s side signed him from Brentford on loan in 2023.
Raya is arguably the Premier League’s best player this campaign, something that is rarely ever said about goalkeepers but highlights the Spaniard’s excellence in between the sticks.
The 30-year-old has been the epitome of consistency this term and his heroic save to keep Mateus Fernandes’ chance to hand West Ham the lead last weekend summed up his importance to the Gunners.
Declan Rice was stellar against Burnley but after the hosts’ latest victory at the Emirates Stadium, the midfielder lauded his teammate.
Declan Rice admits Arsenal would be lost without David Raya after Burnley win
Raya was relatively untested against Burnley as Kai Havertz’s one and only goal won Arsenal the game but in his post-match interview, Rice was asked about the league leaders’ defensive prowess.
The 27-year-old claimed that he is unsure where the North Londoners would be in their back five’s absence, which includes the Golden Glove winner.
Three seasons at @Arsenal, three Coca-Cola Golden Glove awards for David Raya 👏 pic.twitter.com/FUl6JOMouT
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 18, 2026
Rice also praised Raya via Arsenal’s official in-house media and his teammates at the back for their incredible work ethic on and off the pitch.
“I don’t know where this club would be without the whole back four and the goalkeeper to be honest with you. It’s stuff that I haven’t seen before, the way they commit to training every week and what they give to fight for this club is extraordinary.
Rice added: “They deserve everything they’ve got, I think it’s 18 [19 now] clean sheets on top of what they’ve done in the last few seasons, they deserve something, that back four for the work they put in for all of us.”
David Raya is one game away from becoming an Arsenal legend
The fact that a player of Rice’s ilk has made such a claim about Raya goes to show how key he is to Arsenal’s fortunes.
If Mikel Arteta and Co either win the Premier League title because Bournemouth upset Manchester City or by beating Crystal Palace themselves next weekend, Raya will go down as a club legend.
The same can be said for several Arsenal players but the standard at which the Barcelona-born goalkeeper has operated makes him a truly special presence even within such a top-class roster.
