David Raya Eyes Champions League Final After 2018 Facial Injury — Raya Arsenal Goalkeeper
raya arsenal goalkeeper David Raya will play in the Champions League final almost eight years after a 2018 facial injury that sent him to hospital and led to reconstructive surgery. The Arsenal keeper is now one win from lifting the trophy on May 30, after a career path that moved from Southport to the biggest stage in Europe.
Raya’s 2018 Collision
The injury came in a collision with then-West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez during a fixture in 2018. Raya needed hospital treatment and reconstructive surgery after the impact, and he later wore a protective mask for a fortnight after his comeback.
Tony Mowbray’s description of the scene showed how severe it looked from the touchline. “The players were feeling sick with what they saw. He is in hospital. The bone at the top has been pushed into the skull almost and the nose is sort of hanging off really. The players could not look at it, it was that bad.”
Jay Rodriguez And The Aftermath
Rodriguez later said he felt gutted about the incident. “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,” he said. “I've been told he's gone to hospital and I'm gutted about that.”
Raya addressed the injury in November 2018 and said, “It's not impeding me to breathe or anything and if I had the surgery now [during that season], I would be out for six to eight weeks.” That delay helped him finish the season before having the operation.
Arsenal And Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal reached the UEFA Champions League final and face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. For Raya, the final comes after a season that also brought a Premier League title and his third consecutive Golden Glove award.
He was crowned a Premier League champion for the first time after Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace last week, then finished with 19 clean sheets, four more than runner-up Gianluigi Donnarumma. A side-by-side image of Raya at 29 and when he was 19 drew comments on X two years ago, a reminder of how much the injury altered the look supporters now recognize on the pitch.
