"Easily been player of the season", "This guy is an AI" - Fans hail Arsenal star for his showing in 1-0 win over Newcastle

Arsenal fans on X have waxed lyrical about David Raya after he had an outstanding performance during their 1-0 win over Newcastle United. The two sides locked horns in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, May 18.

Newcastle had an excellent start to the game but were unable to make the most of their chances due to a series of world-class saves by David Raya. The Spaniard reacted well to deny Bruno Guimaraes and Harvey Barnes. He then made an excellent double-save from point-blank range following a corner in the 17th minute to ensure the scores remained level.

David Raya's heroics paid dividends in the second half when Declan Rice netted from distance in the 55th minute to break the deadlock. Mikel Arteta and Co. then defended well to secure all three points against a defiant Newcastle side.

Raya was named the Player of the Match, earning a rating of 8.9. The 29-year-old made five saves and 11 recoveries, helping the Gunners keep a clean sheet. He has now kept 19 clean sheets in 54 appearances across all competitions this season.

One fan posted:

"David Raya has easily been player of the season for Arsenal"

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Another fan posted:

"David Raya is not real, this guy is an AI. He pull this double saves to keep Arsenal in the game."

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Other fans reacted below:

"The more i watch Raya the less i understand why i was so pro Ramsdale last season," one fan commented

"David Raya has been named as Player of the match. What a performance," another added

"David Raya has been Arsenal’s best and most consistent player all season and it’s not close," one fan insisted

"David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world! Argue with your keypads," another chimed in

How did Arsenal fare during their 1-0 win over Newcastle?

Despite conceding the 2024-25 Premier League title to Liverpool, Arsenal displayed great resilience to seal a 1-0 win over Newcastle. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both sides performed:

The Gunners had more possession with 52 percent of the ball, completing 338 passes with an accuracy of 82 percent. Meanwhile, the Magpies had 48 percent possession and completed 302 passes with an accuracy of 83 percent.

However, Newcastle were more threatening going forward, landing 14 shots in total, with five being on target (xG of 1.60). In comparison, the hosts mustered 12 shots in total, with four being on target (xG of 0.65).

Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on May 18, 2025, at 11:20 PM IST. They are subject to change.

About the author

Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.

Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.

Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.

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Edited by Silas Sud