David Raya ranked best goalkeeper in the Premier League for 2026/27
David Raya has been ranked the best goalkeeper in the Premier League so far this season, topping a new set of rankings compiled by Gradient Sports and published by Football365, with Gianluigi Donnarumma down in 18th place among the division's shot stoppers.
Gradient's dynamic player rankings combine two indicators, an Overall Grade that measures how well a player executes the key skills for their position, and an Impact Score that measures how frequently they deliver important outcomes. Raya sits second in the league for Overall Grade on 82.6 and first for Impact Score on 6.9, the combination of which puts him top of the pile heading into the business end of the campaign.
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Raya's influence continues from title winning season
Raya was named as last season's highest ranked goalkeeper in Gradient's system, largely driven by posting the Premier League's highest Impact Score as Arsenal secured the title. According to the rankings, that form has carried straight into the new campaign.
The analysis notes that Raya was 'one of the few Gunners not culpable' in Arsenal's 3-0 defeat at Brighton, and that he made important saves in narrow victories over Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Everton as Arsenal found ways to edge those fixtures. It is a reminder of how central Raya has become to Mikel Arteta's side, not just as a shot stopper but as a key part of the build up play that underpins Arsenal's approach.
New signings crowd the top 10
Raya's position at the summit comes amid a cluster of new arrivals making an immediate impact elsewhere in the league. Aston Villa's Zion Suzuki sits third, with the rankings stating that 'Villa fans have been impressed with their new recruit and the rest of us are catching on too,' while Manchester United's Senne Lammens is fourth despite some shaky moments against Fulham and Tottenham.
Newcastle's Lukas Hornicek also features inside the top 10, alongside more familiar names such as Bournemouth's Djordje Petrovic in second, Brighton's Bart Verbruggen in fifth and Chelsea's Emiliano Martinez in sixth.
At the other end of the scale, Manchester City's Donnarumma ranks 18th with a Grade of 58.3, behind the likes of Everton's Jordan Pickford and Liverpool's Alisson, both of whom also sit outside the top 10 despite their reputations. Liverpool's decision to let Caoimhin Kelleher leave for Brentford also draws scrutiny in the rankings, with the Irishman's Grade coming out higher than Alisson's and his shot positioning rated the best in the league.
For Arsenal, Raya's standing at the top of the pile will come as little surprise given his performances since arriving from Brentford, and it adds further statistical weight to his status as one of the division's most consistently influential goalkeepers.
Source: Football365
