David Raya played a decisive role as Arsenal secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Spanish goalkeeper saved Enzo Le Fée’s second-half penalty before Bruno Guimarães broke the deadlock just 121 seconds later. Bukayo Saka then converted a stoppage-time penalty to seal another important win for the Premier League champions.
David Raya’s Historic Clean-Sheet Record
Raya’s latest shutout also extended an impressive Premier League record since his arrival at Arsenal in 2023/24.
The goalkeeper has now kept at least 13 more Premier League clean sheets than any other goalkeeper since joining the Gunners. His consistency has been a major factor behind Arsenal’s defensive strength, with Raya winning the Golden Glove in all of his 3 Premier League seasons at the club. He finished his debut 2023/24 campaign with 16 clean sheets before registering 13 in 2024/25.
That remarkable consistency continued in 2025/26, when Raya again led the Premier League for clean sheets with 19 and collected his third consecutive Golden Glove.
Raya’s Penalty Save Changes the Game
However, his contribution against Sunderland went beyond simply keeping another clean sheet.
For the first time in a Premier League match for Arsenal, Raya saved a penalty and subsequently kept a clean sheet. With the score still 0-0, Le Fée stepped up from 12 yards, only for Raya to produce a crucial save and push the effort onto the post.
The timing made the intervention even more significant.
There were just 121 seconds between Raya’s penalty save from Le Fée at 55:40 and Bruno Guimarães’ goal at 57:41.
That sequence effectively transformed the match. Sunderland had a golden opportunity to take the lead, but Raya denied them. Moments later, Guimarães produced a stunning long-range finish to put Arsenal ahead.
Another Key Moment for Arsenal
Raya’s save therefore proved to be more than an individual goalkeeping highlight. It preserved Arsenal’s clean sheet while allowing the visitors to take control of a difficult away contest.
With another shutout added to his growing collection, Raya continues to strengthen his status as one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers, and his latest performance showed just how decisive he can be when Arsenal need him most.