Former Manchester City star Micah Richards has named Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Liverpool’s Alisson Becker as better goalkeepers than Arsenal’s David Raya. The defender-turned-pundit believes the Spaniard benefits more from the quality of his defenders than solely from his own abilities.
Speaking on *The Rest Is Football* podcast, Gary Lineker initiated a discussion about the best goalkeepers in the world. He quickly named Real Madrid’s Courtois and then added Raya to the list. Lineker also mentioned Liverpool’s Alisson, Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak as his other top picks.
“Who’s the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment? I quite like these conversations,” Lineker said. “You’ve got Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid and Raya at Arsenal, who has barely conceded a goal this season. Alisson is injured at the moment but has been at the top for years. You’ve got Donnarumma as well.”
He continued, “There’s some great goalkeepers around right now, isn’t there? Oblak is worth a mention as well; he’s been great for Atletico. The art of goalkeeping has definitely improved – they’re generally bigger for a start.”
However, Richards contested Raya’s inclusion among the world’s best, pointing out the strength of the Arsenal defense in front of him. He suggested that the goalkeeper is still climbing the ranks but that Alisson and Courtois remain superior at present.
“Yes, but you need to look at what is in front of Raya,” Richards explained. “Thibaut Courtois has been the best goalkeeper in the world for a while. I would say, in the Premier League, it would be Alisson. Raya is on his way to being the best, certainly, but what Alisson has done – his one-on-one shot-stopping is ridiculous.”
David Raya has conceded just five goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, highlighting his strong defensive record.
In a separate critique, Arsenal legend David Seaman criticized Raya following Arsenal’s draw against Sunderland. “The way he comes for the ball, he tries to catch it. Is he aware of the guy [Brobbey] getting close? It’s a great finish by Brobbey, but I would just question the decision of Raya—whether he should have come out to punch it rather than try to catch it.”
Currently, Arsenal sit atop the Premier League table with 26 points from 11 matches. Manchester City hold second place with 22 points, two points ahead of third-placed Chelsea.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-you-need-look-front-raya-micah-richards-names-2-goalkeepers-better-arsenal-shot-stopper