Arsenal shot stopper David Raya says their Premier League title triumph has provided the team with a major confidence lift ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against PSG in Budapest.
The Gunners ended a 22-year wait for a 14th English top-flight title last week and are now aiming to cap off the season by winning Europe’s biggest club competition.
Arsenal could become the 25th club to win the Champions League or European Cup and only the fourth side to achieve that in the same season as lifting the English league title.
Liverpool FC achieved the feat in 1976-77 and 1983-84, while Manchester United managed it in 1998-99 and 2007-08. Manchester City FC also completed the double in 2022-23.
After finally finishing ahead of Manchester City following three consecutive runner-up campaigns, Raya believes Mikel Arteta’s side now have stronger belief in themselves.
“It was essential; it’s been the goal ever since I arrived here, and even before that,” Raya told Diario AS while reflecting on Arsenal’s league success.
“This club exists to compete and challenge for the top honours, and the Premier League was one of them.
“We’ve achieved it, and now it’s going to give us a huge boost as we head into the Champions League final.”
Arsenal’s journey to the final has been driven by an impressive defensive record, with Raya keeping nine clean sheets in the competition this season. No goalkeeper has ever managed 10 shutouts in a single Champions League campaign.
“Personally, I think I’m in a really, really good phase. It’s not just down to me personally; I think the clean sheets we’ve managed are down to the whole team,” Raya added.
“I’m absolutely delighted and confident in the work we’ve done as a team. There have been many matches in which we’ve conceded hardly any chances, and that’s helped us win the championship, which was the main thing.”
Raya was among the three goalkeepers selected by Luis de la Fuente in Spain’s World Cup squad announced on Monday. In the final against PSG, however, he will come up against the coach who handed him his senior Spain debut in March 2022 — Luis Enrique.
“I know him well. He gave me my debut with the national team, and I hold him in very high regard. We know he’s a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant manager and a great person,” Raya said.
“He’s always tweaking things to make life difficult for our opponents, but we hope to win that battle and come out on top in the Champions League final.
“We know we’re strong from set-pieces, and hopefully we can score a goal from a set-piece in the final!”