David Raya has turned out to be a shrewd piece of business for Arsenal. Having initially signed on a season-long loan, the Spaniard joined the club permanently in the 2024 summer transfer window after an impressive debut term at the Emirates.

Having been a key component in the Gunners’ last three seasons, Raya has arguably taken another step up in his journey to becoming a Premier League champion, consistently being one of the best goalkeepers in the division and being a major reason behind making it to the Champions League final too. But, things were not always going too well for the Spaniard.

In fact, the goalkeeper’s career could’ve looked very different if he didn’t have the mental strength to overcome a horrific injury that he suffered during his time at Blackburn Rovers. It was so bad, in fact, that his appearance now looks quite different.

Raya’s Facial Injury at Blackburn

For those who have been following Raya’s career for a long time, they would likely have noticed the change in the Spaniard’s appearance. This is due to an incident that took place in 2018, as former Premier League winners Blackburn took on West Bromwich Albion.

During the game, which finished 1-1, the shot-stopper collided with striker Jay Rodriguez and ended up with a broken nose as a result. The injury was so gruesome that many of those on the field couldn’t bear to look. Due to the severity of the injury, Raya had to receive oxygen from an oxygen mask and was immediately transported to a hospital.

As per the Daily Mail, Rovers boss Tony Mowbray revealed at full-time just how bad the injury was in explicit detail:

Rodriguez, who is known for spells at Burnley and Southampton, was left feeling incredibly guilty about his part in proceedings despite it being completely accidental. He stated:

“It’s not nice to see. I was chasing the ball, I tried to get out of the way, but I’ve caught him with the top of my foot. I’ve been told he’s gone to hospital and I’m gutted about that.”

Incredibly, Raya was not ruled out for a significant period of time. The Catalan native was forced to wear a protective mask upon his return, but was able to avoid any reconstructive surgery until the end of the season.

Although he initially feared the worst, the Spain international was undeterred and admitted to having zero intentions of letting it impact his style of goalkeeping. He told the Lancashire Telegraph:

Raya opted to put off his surgery due to the fact that had he chosen to have it immediately after the injury occurred, he would’ve missed up to eight weeks of action. Not wanting to be unavailable for such a prolonged period, the former Brentford man showed commendable courage in returning between the sticks within two weeks of the accident. It is this type of character that has helped establish him as Arteta’s number one in north London.

Raya’s Career so Far

While now one of the English top flight’s finest goalkeepers, and indeed one of the best in the world, Raya’s journey to the Premier League has been an arduous one. Before he was a permanent fixture for Blackburn, the Spaniard was playing non-league football for Southport United in 2014.

The loan move gave him much-needed experience, with his manager at the time, Gary Brabin, stating that initial concerns about his inexperience were quickly alleviated as soon as he got a taste of senior football.

Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, representing both Brentford and Arsenal in the Premier League. As the undisputed number one at the Emirates, having dislodged Aaron Ramsdale to do so, the Spain international is a major reason as to why the Gunners’ rearguard is the best in English football’s top-flight.

To overcome such a horrible injury and reach those heights is a testament to Raya’s determination to reach the top, something which will stand him in good stead in the coming years.

All stats courtesy of the Premier League and Transfermarkt – correct as of 29-05-26.

The 2025-26 Premier League season is now behind us, with all 20 clubs learning their fate. Arsenal were crowned champions, while we say goodbye to West Ham, Burnley and Wolves.

But could things have looked very different for some teams without errors made by VAR and referees? Well, in short, yes. Arsenal secured the Premier League title while being one of the biggest beneficiaries of mistakes made in the VAR room and on the pitch.

Meanwhile, their main rivals, Manchester City, were on the receiving end of more errors than almost every other Premier League club throughout the season. BBC Sport have presented data from the Premier League’s key match incidents (KMI) panel, which shows the number of officiating errors for and against each club.

VAR Errors in the Premier League (2025-26)

When it comes to the mistakes made by VAR officials, Chelsea and Arsenal were the biggest winners. The latter had four go in their favour, while Mikel Arteta’s side took advantage of three oversights. Neither side had an error go against them, either.

The same can’t be said for Manchester United and Liverpool. The two English giants secured Champions League football but weren’t helped along the way by the technology or those operating it. They both ended up with more decisions against than for them.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, Everton and Brighton were the hardest hit by VAR blunders. The Eagles suffered three wrong decisions without getting any in their favour.

Referee Mistakes Often Went in Big Club’s Favour

The KMI panel also took a look at the calls VAR didn’t get involved in. For example, wrongly awarded penalties that weren’t deemed ‘clear and obvious’ enough to overturn or second yellow card offences that went unpunished.

Arsenal were again helped by these decisions. Max Dowman was wrongly given a penalty kick against Leeds United, while Mikel Merino escaped a second yellow against Aston Villa.

However, Everton got away with two overlooked penalties and a potential James Garner red card. These mistakes significantly make up for their misfortune when it came to VAR calls. Sunderland and Wolves made the most of officials’ errors, although the latter were still easily relegated.

How Every Premier League Club Was Impacted By Errors

Overall, Arsenal and Chelsea’s aggregate totals were greater than any other team in the division. It would’ve been interesting to see how the table would look without all of these errors.

Wolves, Sunderland, West Ham, Liverpool and Everton were the only other clubs to have more errors in their favour than against them. Several clubs, including Man City, have every right to feel hard done by.

The Citizens ended up with a net of -2 when errors were combined. However, Leeds United ended the campaign with four against them and not a single mistake helping them along the way.

The 2025-26 Premier League season is now behind us, with all 20 clubs learning their fate. Arsenal were crowned champions, while we say goodbye to West Ham, Burnley and Wolves.

But could things have looked very different for some teams without errors made by VAR and referees? Well, in short, yes. Arsenal secured the Premier League title while being one of the biggest beneficiaries of mistakes made in the VAR room and on the pitch.

Meanwhile, their main rivals, Manchester City, were on the receiving end of more errors than almost every other Premier League club throughout the season. BBC Sport have presented data from the Premier League’s key match incidents (KMI) panel, which shows the number of officiating errors for and against each club.

VAR Errors in the Premier League (2025-26)

When it comes to the mistakes made by VAR officials, Chelsea and Arsenal were the biggest winners. The latter had four go in their favour, while Mikel Arteta’s side took advantage of three oversights. Neither side had an error go against them, either.

The same can’t be said for Manchester United and Liverpool. The two English giants secured Champions League football but weren’t helped along the way by the technology or those operating it. They both ended up with more decisions against than for them.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, Everton and Brighton were the hardest hit by VAR blunders. The Eagles suffered three wrong decisions without getting any in their favour.

Referee Mistakes Often Went in Big Club’s Favour

The KMI panel also took a look at the calls VAR didn’t get involved in. For example, wrongly awarded penalties that weren’t deemed ‘clear and obvious’ enough to overturn or second yellow card offences that went unpunished.

Arsenal were again helped by these decisions. Max Dowman was wrongly given a penalty kick against Leeds United, while Mikel Merino escaped a second yellow against Aston Villa.

However, Everton got away with two overlooked penalties and a potential James Garner red card. These mistakes significantly make up for their misfortune when it came to VAR calls. Sunderland and Wolves made the most of officials’ errors, although the latter were still easily relegated.

How Every Premier League Club Was Impacted By Errors

Overall, Arsenal and Chelsea’s aggregate totals were greater than any other team in the division. It would’ve been interesting to see how the table would look without all of these errors.

Wolves, Sunderland, West Ham, Liverpool and Everton were the only other clubs to have more errors in their favour than against them. Several clubs, including Man City, have every right to feel hard done by.

The Citizens ended up with a net of -2 when errors were combined. However, Leeds United ended the campaign with four against them and not a single mistake helping them along the way.