T. Deeney has put David Raya at the centre of his team of the season and backed it with a clear verdict: the Arsenal goalkeeper is his player of the season. He also says Raya's save against West Ham was the save that won Arsenal the title, a claim that sits alongside the fact that Raya has won the Golden Glove three seasons in a row.

Why Raya stands out in Deeney's XI

The numbers help explain why Deeney leaned so hard into Raya. He made 37 Premier League appearances and posted a 6.95 league rating, while his Champions League rating was 7.36. That is a strong season by any normal measure, and it gets sharper when a pundit is willing to single out one goalkeeper above everyone else.

Deeney did not stop at praise for Raya either. He said, "If Arsenal can win the Champions League and if England can go deep in the World Cup, he is on pace for a Ballon d'Or", and added that "it's crazy to me that he is not Spain's number one". Those are Deeney's opinions, not official verdicts, but they show how far he is prepared to push the Raya case.

Arsenal's title spine fills the rest

Deeney's wider selection is heavy with Arsenal players, which is no surprise given the way he described the club's title-winning season. He said Arsenal were "massive and monumental in delivering Arsenal their first title in 22 years". The historical backdrop is clear enough too: Arsenal won the Premier League with 82 points, 25 wins, 7 draws and 5 defeats.

That makes the selection feel less like a random best XI and more like a reflection of the side that finished first. William Saliba, Declan Rice and Gabriel all feature, while Mikel Arteta is part of the picture in Deeney's team of the season. Raya remains the headline, though, and Deeney's view is the one that drives the whole discussion.

If you are looking for the cleanest takeaway, it is this: Deeney did not just pick Raya as part of a strong Arsenal season, he picked him as the best player in the league. The rest of his XI follows that logic, with Arsenal's title core carrying most of the weight.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →