Brentford have been one of the best performers in the English Championship this season. Their style of football and unique transfer strategy has attracted much attention. David Raya is central to both these areas. He was brought in from Blackburn Rovers at the start of the 2019/20 season, and his incredible passing ability is instrumental to the way Brentford play. Excluding Leeds, Brentford had conceded the least amount of goals in the Championship this season.
This tactical analysis will look at Raya’s strengths from this season and what he needs to improve on to get to the next level. We will take a look at how the keeper fits into Brentford and Thomas Frank’s tactics. We will analyse three aspects of goalkeeping: shot-stopping, passing, and ability to sweep.
Does Raya stand out?
In our analysis of goalkeepers outside the top five leagues, Raya stood out and was shortlisted as one of the best young goalkeepers to look out for. Raya was positioned well in every stat we analysed, however, he only stood out on the passing department.
Although Raya had an above-average save percentage, he wasn’t one of the standouts like former Liverpool man Simon Mignolet was. He doesn’t face a lot of shots per 90, as evident in the graph. Therefore, this save percentage isn’t as impressive as players in the top right quadrant. Nevertheless, Raya is one of the most promising goalkeepers outside the top five leagues.
Shot-stopping ability
The 24-year-old has been praised for his passing ability and the role he plays within the Brentford style, however, his shot-stopping and reflexes are often overlooked. Raya has a save percentage of 75.19% which is very good for a goalkeeper who doesn’t face many shots. He often goes large parts of games without being bothered and has to be ready to make a save when called upon. Throughout this season he had an xG per 90 value of 0.86, meaning he faced some difficult shots, however, he only conceded 0.79 goals per 90.
