Arsenal -goalkeeper David Raya has told Sky Sports that he is convinced that the Gunners will soon be able to secure silverware, despite their last chance in the 2024/25 campaign that now depends on the Champions League, with Real Madrid in the way.
Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to the FA Cup for the 14th time in the history of the club less than eight months after he was appointed in the role, as well as two community shields in 2020 and 2023, but has fallen short in the search for the list of honor since then.
The Gunners suffered a defeat against Newcastle in the League Cup, with disappointment about penalties in the FA Cup to Manchester United sandwiched between the two semi -final legs against the Magpies.
Despite the failure of the cup matches and a 12-point gap that separates his silk and Premier League leaders Liverpool at the top of the table, Raya remains cheerful about the situation after he insists that it is “only a matter of time” before the success arrives.
“It is a great place to be,” the goalkeeper of Spain Sky Sky traces. “This is a great club and the team is incredible. We are going in the right direction to achieve things, it's a matter of time.”
Europe's elite competition, which has not been lifted any Arsenal side in their 139-year history, is now marking their last chance this season.
But to go one step further in the direction of unknown territory for the Gunners, they have to make their way past champions and nine times winners Real Madrid.
Raya continued: “Everyone wants to win the Champions League and everyone knows how difficult it is.
“Last year I thought we were doing a really good campaign. We were so close to beating Bayer Munich to enter the semi -final.
“We are going in the right direction. We have played that experience now and not many players had played in the Champions League before. We look forward to it and accept the challenge.
“We have a big challenge for playing Real Madrid. It is the one you really wanted to play when you were young.”
Coming from Palleja in the northeast of Spain, about 20 miles from Barcelona, Raya is aware of the size around his first outing against Los Blancos and has already been flooded with requests for tickets prior to the two -legged draw.
The fixture marks a huge moment for not only the club, but also the player himself. Raya approached the draw and chose to think about his journey through the football pyramid of the fifth level of English football on loan with Southport, to the greatest stage of all with Arsenal.
His progress was not linear.
Before Blackburn's relegation to League One broke through in 2017/18, Raya from Rovers Academy was opposed to adversity after he had fallen to the third choice when Paul Lambert arrived at the club – but insisted that he moved to England at the age of 16 at the age of 16.
“There were hard parts,” Raya added. “The year I made my debut with Blackburn, it was against Leeds. The next season I started as no. 1.
“I was 19 years old as goalkeeper of the first team. The results did not go on our way and after the international break in September, the Gaffer [Gary Bowyer] Pulled me and said, “We need a change.”
“I didn't play badly, but it was one of the decisions he had to make. From there I did not play a competition match for 18 months. That was one of the most difficult parts of my career.
“I became the third choice instead of the second. That was one of the most difficult parts of my journey.
“Without reason, it is part of football, but you have to keep your mentality in the right way. It came in the season that we relegated. I played the last five games of the season, I played in League One all year round.
“It is not a steady process, but I am very happy with the results.”
Specifically talking about his stint with Southport in the National League, Raya revealed his admiration for his teammates who balance their love for the game and their daily lives.
'We were part -time [at Southport]. The team trained Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in the morning. I was still training at Blackburn. During the week I was with them.
“It was something else that I have never experienced before. The boys combined football and worked in the morning.
“We would play in London on Tuesday at 8 p.m., go north at 4 o'clock and they woke up for work at 6 am. It was nice to see what they do for the love for football.”
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