‘Hopefully it can go better’ – Arsenal man Raya keen to overcome ‘demanding’ atmosphere
David Raya is hopeful that his spell at Arsenal “can go better” despite feeling he’s adapting well to the “demanding” atmosphere and a battle with Aaron Ramsdale for the goalkeeper position.
It was an interesting decision when Mikel Arteta brought Raya to the club in the summer to battle Ramsdale for the no.1 spot. Despite the Englishman having done well last season, his place was gone within a month.
There have been a few moments in which Raya has not covered himself in glory, but on the whole, he’s been a decent addition to the side.
The goalkeeper has spoken on the change in atmosphere from Brentford to Arsenal, and how he’s adapting to it.
“I’ve experienced a lot of new things, especially at a club as big as Arsenal. It’s one of the best clubs in the world, so the challenge has been incredible and I’m still adapting to the club and everything here,” he told the Arsenal website.
“It’s not that you have to be mentally stronger, it’s just new challenges that I have never experienced, so just trying to adapt as quickly as possible to a title race and playing in the Champions League for the first time.
“I’ve dealt very well with all of that stuff so I’m really happy with how it’s going and hopefully it can go better.”
On his relationship with Ramsdale, Raya believes the pair push each other, and that’s important given the position the Gunners are in – second in the league and into the Champions League knockouts.
“Aaron had a magnificent season last year so I’m just here to help the team to win the games when the gaffer puts me in,” Raya said.
“My relationship with Aaron is really good. We’re teammates and try to make each other better in every single session. We don’t try to hear what the outside world is saying, just focus on the team.
“A club of this level, you cannot drop at any point. We want to fight and try to win as many titles as we can, so it’s very demanding. For me now, experiencing new things, it’s very demanding.
“The teams in the top six and top 10 are behind us so we have to keep on our toes and try to win every single match.”
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