Raya return proves vital for Brentford as they all but secure safety

Brentford's Premier League status is all but confirmed for another year and, just like last week, they can largely thank Ivan Toney for a crucial win.

Triumphs at Norwich and now against Burnley have pulled them out of a relegation scrap and nine points clear of the drop zone, with Toney scoring five goals in the process.

So rightly so, the penalty-specialist forward has made the headlines, as has Christian Eriksen, creatively instrumental in both wins.

But those six points might not have been possible without unsung hero David Raya.

The goalkeeper is back to his best after missing nearly half the season with a knee injury, a 14-match spell which saw Brentford lose nine times and keep just one clean sheet.

So as well as Toney’s return to the goals after Covid and injury, and Eriksen’s fairytale comeback to top-flight football, we must add Raya’s recovery to the list of factors which have revived Brentford’s season.

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At Carrow Road last week, he denied Milot Rashica from point-blank range after four minutes and made more stops at 0-0 before the Bees went on to comfortably win. 

And on Saturday against Burnley, the away side were perhaps the better team and Raya denied Maxwel Cornet in a one-versus-one scenario late on, before Toney’s 85th-minute opener.

‘Personally it feels amazing to be back,’ Raya told Sportsmail after the game. ‘When the injury