Since signing for the club in the summer, David Raya has been a key part of us having the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League with Liverpool.
Discussing how he has settled into life at north London after the move from Brentford, David was full of positives.
“It’s been a great change, a great move,” he said. “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.
“Pressure is what you put on your shoulders. If you believe in yourself, you’ve got a big part to play and I don’t try to think so much about it. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment, every single training session and, every time I go on the pitch, to help the team. I’m just focusing on that and not focusing so much on the pressure or what’s going on outside the club.
“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.”
David was also asked about his relationship with fellow goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, and he said that the two shot-stoppers are fully supporting each other at London Colney.
“It’s a big thing when another goalie comes to a club,” he said. “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.
“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.
“I’m enjoying every time I go out there, playing football and doing what I love, especially enjoying every single training session as well. It’s incredible to be part of this football club and hopefully we can fight for the title.
“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.”
"No matter if you're a player or a groundsman, everybody has a big part to play in this family club"
West Ham United are our next opponents in the league and we’ll be looking to show a response to our 3-1 defeat against the Hammers in the Carabao Cup at the beginning of November.
“West Ham are a great team that can hurt you in many ways, especially on fast attacks and counter-attacks, so we have to be very aware of their strengths,” David said. “We just have to play our game and focus more on ourselves and what we can do to win the game.
“We played them in the cup as well so we know what to expect. In this league, every game is tough. Anybody can beat anybody so it’s going to be a tough match, as every game is in the Premier League.”
Finally, David also spoke about the unity in the dressing room and the culture at the club.
“It’s a very very close dressing room, so everybody gets along with everybody,” he said. “Obviously, you spend more time with the GK union, so it’s a mix of everything, but I’ve bonded really well with everybody and the outfield players, playing against them, like Jorginho and a few others. Everybody has been very welcoming.
“The culture is magnificent. It’s like a big big family, even though the club is that big. You don’t know how big the club is until you get inside but I was very impressed by how the club and everything is run like a big family, especially with the staff and the fans. Everybody has a big part to play, no matter if you’re a player, staff or groundsman, it’s a family club.”
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