Edwin van der Sar insists Arsenal star is not ‘world class’ but Man Utd flop is | OneFootball

Man Utd legend Edwin van der Sar insists Arsenal star David Raya is not a world-class goalkeeper but Red Devils flop Andre Onana is.

Raya has been in good form this season to help the Gunners to top spot in the Premier League with Mikel Arteta’s conceding just 22 goals.

The Spaniard shared the Golden Glove award in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels last season and Raya has the most clean sheets (14) than any other goalkeeper this term.

Arteta said at the beginning of February that he thought Raya had “gone to a different level” this season as Arsenal look to win the Quadruple.

The Arsenal boss said: “When we are where we are, it’s because individuals are doing so well, and certainly David has been immense for us since he joined.

“This season again, I think he’s gone to a different level, very stable, really, really consistent, and he’s a key player for us.”

In their 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, Raya produced a wonderful save at full-stretch to deny former Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho a late equaliser.

Speaking after the match, Arteta said: “David is one of our leaders without a doubt. He is a keeper who knows how to maintain his focus and decide a match when you need it.

“Sometimes he doesn’t participate at all and then suddenly he has to act and the save he made in the last action — it was an unbelievable shot and my heart almost stopped, but he kept it out again.

“It was a fabulous save, but we shouldn’t have been in that position. I try to stay calm, but we weren’t getting the dominance we wanted against ten men.

“Everyone is suffering and the margins are so tight, but it’s good. In March, we are in every competition and we are right up there.”

Despite all his heroics and improvement this season, Man Utd legend Van der Sar snubbed Raya when compiling his list of “world class” goalkeepers.

When reading through a list of goalkeepers on ESPN, Van der Sar responded “no” when asked if Arsenal goalkeeper Raya was world class.

As expected the likes of Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer were on his list – but surprisingly Man Utd flop Onana made the cut.

The Netherlands legend has often spoke highly of the Man Utd goalkeeper, who is currently out on loan at Turkish giants Trabzonspor, after a poor spell in the first team at Old Trafford.

Van der Sar told Sky Bet late last month: “I worked with Andre Onana for three or four years at Ajax. He came in as a third-choice goalkeeper and was very eager to step up and become the first choice.

“I thought, and I still think, that he has tremendous qualities – reflections and his feet – but somehow, he has the odd mistake in him that makes you think ‘That’s crazy, how can he do that.’

“A team wants stability, to know what your goalkeeper is doing so the back four can relate and I think that’s what happened [the issue] with Andre.

“Manchester United haven’t had stability for the last six or seven years – the back four changing, the centre-halves and midfielders changing, coaches changing – so, it’s difficult for new players to come into an environment where the expectations are high, not only for goalkeepers but also for a winger or midfielder.

“A lot of players who have come here in the last eight or nine years have not reached the level that people expected them to reach.

“I absolutely thought that he would succeed when he first came here to United. As I said, I worked with him and saw him at Ajax, he did well in Italy and played in a Champions League final, so I thought it was a match made in heaven.”