David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga have formed an intense yet supportive rivalry at Arsenal, with the Spanish goalkeepers pushing each other to new heights. Raya matched Edouard Mendy’s record of nine clean sheets in a single Champions League campaign—a feat Mendy achieved with Chelsea in 2020-21 when Kepa was his backup.
On Monday night, after the draw between Everton and Manchester City put Arsenal back in control of their Premier League destiny, Raya secured his third consecutive Golden Glove award in the English top flight. Just 24 hours later, against Atletico Madrid, he recorded his ninth clean sheet in this Champions League edition.
Until now, only Edouard Mendy could boast such a record in the Champions League. That came in the 2020-21 season, when Thomas Tuchel took over mid-campaign from Frank Lampard and transformed Chelsea into an impenetrable defensive unit, beating Manchester City in the Porto final to lift the club’s second European Cup—with Kepa Arrizabalaga serving as the backup goalkeeper.
Mendy’s level in that Champions League was so high that, beyond those nine clean sheets, he conceded only two goals across 12 matches: one in the group stage against his former club Rennes, and another in the first leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid, scored by Karim Benzema. Kepa, meanwhile, played the final group-stage match against Krasnodar, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Five years later, the former Athletic Club goalkeeper is again playing second fiddle, this time behind Raya at an Arsenal side that has reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. By a twist of fate, the last time the Gunners made the final (2006 against Barcelona), they also had a Spanish backup goalkeeper in Manuel Almunia.
“If we hadn’t put the team first, it would have been impossible to win that final against Manchester City,” Kepa later admitted, reflecting on his role at Chelsea despite being the most expensive goalkeeper in history. This mindset carried through to his loan at Real Madrid in 2024 after Thibaut Courtois’ injury, and now at Arsenal with David Raya.
After rediscovering his form at Bournemouth last season, Kepa knew exactly what his role would be upon arriving at the Emirates. “He’s a great goalkeeper, and we have a very good relationship. We’re going to compete, we’re going to train together, and we’re going to spend a lot of time with each other. We’ll compete, just like in every other position in the team. Our only goal is to win and make each other better,” Kepa said at his unveiling.
Kepa’s dream debut included a penalty hat-trick in a shootout. Raya is fully accustomed to this internal competition—he faced it with Aaron Ramsdale in his first season and with Neto last season. With Kepa, it has felt even more natural, as they previously shared a dressing room at international level, winning the Nations League together in 2023.
“We are good friends and have a healthy relationship. We both know how hard it is to be a goalkeeper because only one can play. Having competition in every position forces you to raise your level,” Raya said.
An undisputed starter in the Premier League and Champions League, Raya also showed immense empathy for what Kepa went through in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. “That’s part of football. You have to be there to support your teammates,” he said. “After the match, we went into the international break, and he stayed here. Then what happened against Southampton occurred. The conversations…”