RAY OF HOPE

Arsenal's man with the Golden Gloves in fight again to be No.1 in Arteta's eyes

- NICK CALLOW

DAVID RAYA does not know if he is going to be Arsenal's No.1 despite going into the new season as a back-to-back Golden Glove winner.

That is the message to him from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

The Spanish keeper, who displaced Aaron Ramsdale two seasons ago, was everpresent in Arsenal's Premier League title chase last term as the Gunners also reached the Champions League semi-finals.

But after the shock summer signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga, still the world's most expensive goalkeeper after he joined Chelsea for £71.6million in 2018, Raya finds himself in familiar territory: facing another battle for the gloves.

Asked whether manager Arteta had spoken to him about where he now stands in the pecking order, Raya gave a blunt reply.