It was a summer of goalkeeping change in the Premier League. Ball-playing goalkeepers have been key for the majority over the past few years but this summer saw some shift to taller shot-stoppers who aren't as good with their feet. Six foot 5ins Donnarumma came in for Ederson at Manchester City, 6ft 4ins Senne Lammens replaced Andre Onana at Manchester United, while Sunderland signed Robin Roefs (6ft 4ins). But Premier League leaders Arsenal haven't followed the trend as 6ft pass-first keeper David Raya remains their number one - having been a mainstay in the Premier League since moving to Brentford from Blackburn in 2019. But why are Arsenal taking a seemingly different approach to others in the league and how important is he to their title challenge?

Source: BBC December 20, 2025 13:59 UTC