The prevailing narrative around Arsenal this season is that it is now or never for them to win the Premier League title, but is that necessarily the case?
Well, it is true that Mikel Arteta’s team have finished runners-up in each of the last three seasons.
Never before has a side in top-flight English football history come second in four successive seasons, with Arsenal themselves (99-01), Leeds (70-72), Manchester United (47-49) and Preston North End (1891-93) the only teams to manage three in a row beforehand.
To break the sequence, the Gunners won the double in 2002, but Leeds finished third and Manchester United came fourth, while Preston ended up in the relegation zone, albeit that was 132 years ago; different times.
So, while pressure is building on Arteta to deliver success, his players clearly believe glory is going to come sooner rather than later, as one after another, they continue to pen their futures at the Emirates Stadium. Safe to say, Andrea Berta is doing a rather good job in that regard.
Andrea Berta's contract masterstrokes
The reason Gooners everywhere should continue to believe in Arteta is because the players they all adore certainly still do.
Last month, William Saliba signed a new five-year contract at the club, following widespread whispers in the Spanish press that Real Madrid were in his ear.
To date, the 24-year-old has made 142 appearances for the club since his spectacular debut at Selhurst Park in August 2022, with Arteta noting that the Frenchman “has grown so much” since then, rightly adding that he “is loved by all the players” and supporters.
Meantime, Berta praised his “composure, intelligence and physical presence’, noting that he is “one of the best in the world” in his position.
Berta, who arrived in March, has been widely praised for the work he has done, not only bringing in new players but tying down existing stars, with Gabriel, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, among others, having signed new long-term contracts in recent months.
Another player currently in the final two years of his contract is Bukayo Saka, signing a four-year deal in 2023.
When asked about the possibility of Saka committing to an extension ahead of the recent victory at Newcastle, Arteta exclaimed, “I would love that”, adding, “from everything that I know, he… is extremely happy and proud to be here… everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us so hopefully we can do it”.
So, as was the case with Saliba, while there will rightly be plenty of pomp and ceremony if and when Saka does sign a new contract, one under-the-radar player, who might just be as important as this pair, deserves an equal amount of recognition.
Arsenal star is now one of the best in the world
According to recent reports, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is deservedly set to be rewarded with a new contract.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who reportedly currently earns £100,000-per-week, will be handed a pay increase but not an increased length of contract, essentially a bonus, similar to what the club handed Leandro Trossard during the summer.
When Raya arrived from Brentford, initially on loan but with an obligation to buy for £27m, this move was met with plenty of scepticism, given how popular Aaron Ramsdale had become.
Nevertheless, Arteta has proved to be fully vindicated in his decision, with Raya keeping 45 clean sheets in just 105 appearances for the club, winning back-to-back Premier League Golden Gloves.
Only Pepe Reina, Joe Hart and Ederson have collected the award in three consecutive seasons, with Raya very much on course to equal that streak, enjoying four clean sheets from seven matches so far. Safe to say he’s now one of the best goalkeepers in the league.
When asked about Raya last month, Arteta labelled the goalkeeper’s performances “unbelievable”, cheekily noting that “I was hammered when I brought him”, highlighting that his clean sheet statistics are “the best in the history of the football club”.
So, let’s assess how Raya’s statistics rank among Premier League goalkeepers last season.
Minutes
3,420
1st
Goals against
34
1st*
Goals against per 90
0.89
1st
Save %
74.2%
3rd
Clean sheets
13
1st
Clean sheet %
34.2%
2nd
Crosses stopped
53
2nd
% of crosses stopped
13.2%
2nd
High claims
51
2nd
Passes
1,232
5th
Runs out
33
3rd
*minimum 33 appearances.
As the numbers outline, Raya ranked among the top-flight’s best goalkeepers last season, finishing first when it came to clean sheets and goals against per 90, while also ranking in the top two for his save percentage as well as high claims.
Thus, speaking during CBS’ Champions League coverage last month, Jamie Carragher asserted that Raya is “one of the best goalkeepers in the world” alongside Alisson, which is high praise from the former Liverpool defender.
The importance of having a top-class goalkeeper cannot be overstated, as Alisson himself proved, taking Liverpool to new heights after replacing Loris Karius.
So, while Saka and Saliba may be heralded as Arsenal’s most important figures, spearheading the Gunners’ title push, Raya cannot be overlooked and is fully deserving of the improved contract that is seemingly heading his way.
