Best PL goalkeepers?

[Nani Nana]

Wondered how posters would rank the top goalkeepers in the PL this season.

Though he conceded loads against MUFC, I find Meslier a promising prospect. Martinez at Villa knocks on the door of Argentinian national team. Mendy is fine at Chelsea. Pickford and Pope are great at club level and promising for England. Areola at Fulham has done a decent job.

Meanwhile the likes of Lloris, Alisson, De Gea are steadily good.

Who is your PL keeper of the season so far?

 

[charlenefan]

Alisson and Pope are the best

 

[justsomebloke]

If we're talking this season rather than overall, I think Emiliano Martinez is the name that most immediately springs to mind.

Runners-up:

Karl Darlow
Ederson
Hugo Lloris
Edouard Mendy

 

[Mcking]

Emiliano Martinez and Nick Pope are the best two for me.

 

[FootballHQ]

Honestly think the standard of keeping is incredibly high compared to even 15 years ago when there were loads of poor ones in bottom half. More demands aswell on keepers to be builders at the back and start moves of course.

Never mind 1-10, 11th-20th rank would be much more interesting to me. Ramsdale is obviously rock bottom but above that I'd be interested to see who people view as next worse.

For example I don't think Sam Johnstone is a great all round keeper but he's made some amazing late saves for West Brom in recent weeks that have won them points and that could be very crucial in May.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Alisson is the best allrounder. Cant see a fault in his game.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

Is Pope really ‘that’ good. He’s solid but I don’t think he’s world class. The only standout really is Allison. De Gea was playing at a level above anyone currently in the league though afew years ago.

 

[FrankDrebin]

I would probably have Pope over DDG nowadays.

 

[RUCK4444]

For example I don't think Sam Johnstone is a great all round keeper but he's made some amazing late saves for West Brom in recent weeks that have won them points and that could be very crucial in May.

This, for the bolded. Goalkeeping is about shot stopping first and foremost.

Liverpool weren’t transformed by Allison because he can pass well, it’s because he keeps the ball out of the feckin net.

Ball playing Goalkeepers are the new fashionable must-have just like ‘Attacking fullbacks’’

Personally i would prefer a keeper who prevents goals and a fullback that defends well and wins possession for the forwards (if they are good going forward that’s a bonus.)

 

[nuanced]

What's the deal with Emi Martinez? Looks like this season might turn out to be only his second season with 15+ games, and the first one was last year. He seems to have played infrequently for a bunch of lower league teams over his 8 year pro career. How has he turned into such a strong keeper now?

 

[RUCK4444]

Is Pope really ‘that’ good. He’s solid but I don’t think he’s world class. The only standout really is Allison. De Gea was playing at a level above anyone currently in the league though afew years ago.

Pope is tidy but overrated. He’s a big guy which helps but he’s not as agile as the likes of De Gea / Lloris etc and I think keepers need that.

None of them are on the same level as De Gea a couple of years back. He’s not too bad at the moment and I hope he can recapture that top form again.

 

[Bubz27]

The best footballing minds in the world disagree with you @RUCK4444

 

[Remember the geese]

I think Schmeichel is definitely one of the best.

 

[Based Adnan]

Martinez has been one of the best in the league since Leno got injured vs Brighton imo. Remains to be seen if he can keep it up long term though.

 

[RUCK4444]

The best footballing minds in the world disagree with you @RUCK4444

I’m not sure they do, most managers go for top shot stoppers but some are lucky to get keepers who are also good with the ball at their feet.

I still think it’s an exaggerated requirement, especially considering keepers can pass to a defender unopposed within their own box from goal kicks now, they don’t need to be playing one touch and one-two’s with their own back line.

 

[TheGame]

What's the deal with Emi Martinez? Looks like this season might turn out to be only his second season with 15+ games, and the first one was last year. He seems to have played infrequently for a bunch of lower league teams over his 8 year pro career. How has he turned into such a strong keeper now?

Think he was always a solid keeper but Arsenal went with other options first e.g Cech. Then they made the wrong decision in selling him after Martinez played well last season. He probably should have asked for a move away before.

 

[FootballHQ]

What's the deal with Emi Martinez? Looks like this season might turn out to be only his second season with 15+ games, and the first one was last year. He seems to have played infrequently for a bunch of lower league teams over his 8 year pro career. How has he turned into such a strong keeper now?

It's a similar case to Tom Heaton. He only left Man. United in 2010 after many loans at which point he was 24.

Martinez kept on going out on loan from Arsenal in belief he'd get serious shot at number one eventually. When he did an played really well in their cup run you're obviously going to be hugely disappointed to be told you're number two again when Leno was fit so he had to move at that point.

 

[Cutch]

I suspect he may have gone under the radar a bit this season because he plays for Fulham but everytime I've seen Areola he looks absolutely class

 

[FootballHQ]

I suspect he may have gone under the radar a bit this season because he plays for Fulham but everytime I've seen Areola he looks absolutely class

His pedigree is pretty good tbh, Villareal, PSG and Real Madrid. Was back up at last two but still played games here and there.

Great pick up for a newly promoted team and should make French euros squad.

 

[Cutch]

His pedigree is pretty good tbh, Villareal, PSG and Real Madrid. Was back up at last two but still played games here and there.

Great pick up for a newly promoted team and should make French euros squad.

Yeah I had heard of him before and it caught my eye when Fulham signed him. I think he may have had an unreal game against United once upon a time

 

[sullydnl]

The top five in terms of xG prevented so far are:

1) Pope
2) Fabinaksi
3) Areola
4) Martinez
5) Alisson

Obviously there's a lot more to take into account beyond that though, plus it is directly influenced by their team's style of play.

In terms of officially recorded "errors" leading to either chances or goals, Ramsdale is the worst but Meslier is only one behind him.

 

[RashyForPM]

Good question. Loads of good keepers this season. Respect for the unpopular opinion that Pickford is a good keeper too. Completely agree, just prone to the occasional clanger, but gets unfairly criticised because people want Deano or Pope as England’s #1.

Anyway, I think Martinez has been the best keeper in the league this season by a fair way, followed by the likes of Alisson, Pope, McCarthy and DDG.

 

[RashyForPM]

The top five in terms of xG prevented so far are:

1) Pope
2) Fabinaksi
3) Areola
4) Martinez
5) Alisson

Obviously there's a lot more to take into account beyond that though, plus it is directly influenced by their team's style of play.

In terms of officially recorded "errors" leading to either chances or goals, Ramsdale is the worst but Meslier is only one behind him.

Funnily enough, Pope was one of the worst in terms of XG prevented last year. At least this reaffirms my belief that he’s one of the best keepers in the league.

 

[bond19821982]

Let's check it out.

Shot stopping - it's pretty much a very tight at the top. Almost every team has awesome shot stoppers. DDG (I'm slightly biased) would top. Pope, Martinez, Schmeichel would be decent shouts.

Aerial ability and Command of the area - Pope and Martinez are very good. Alison, Schmeichel, lloris are also stand outs. Mendy looks very good but still early days.

Distribution- Alison, Ederson, Pickford

Reflex- DDG is probably the best. Alison, Pope , Schmeichel are quite good.

Did I miss any attributes ?

 

[harms]

Alisson is the best, this season and overall. Mendy has been really impressive so far, although he doesn't have any standout features.

 

[sillwuka]

Martinez has had a fantastic season, Arsenal decided to cash in on him but I prefer him to Leno.

I've also been impressed with McCarthy from Southampton too. There isn't a massive gulf in quality between Hendo, Pickford, Pope and McCarthy.

The so called top tier keepers in the league have all had steady seasons, nothing spectacular.

 

[sullydnl]

In terms of the worst goalkeepers, special shout out to Kepa, who in three PL starts this season made as many errors leading to goals as De Gea did in all of last season. A whole evil-DDG bad season condensed into 270 minutes.

 

[nuanced]

It's a similar case to Tom Heaton. He only left Man. United in 2010 after many loans at which point he was 24.

Martinez kept on going out on loan from Arsenal in belief he'd get serious shot at number one eventually. When he did an played really well in their cup run you're obviously going to be hugely disappointed to be told you're number two again when Leno was fit so he had to move at that point.

I can see why he kept on going on loans to continue his development. But you'd expect a future PL top GK to play majority of the games for teams like Rotherham (8 games at 23 years) and Getafe (5 games at 25 years) during his loans. His looks like an extreme case of late bloomer, where he has massively blossomed since the start of 2019.

 

[Bubz27]

I’m not sure they do, most managers go for top shot stoppers but some are lucky to get keepers who are also good with the ball at their feet.

I still think it’s an exaggerated requirement, especially considering keepers can pass to a defender unopposed within their own box from goal kicks now, they don’t need to be playing one touch and one-two’s with their own back line.

I don't think it's down to luck. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement they put to their scouts when looking for a new keeper.

Shot stopping would be a higher priority, I imagine. But I'd say being good with your feet is up there with collecting crosses, considering how poor keepers like Ederson and De Gea are at it.

 

[Kaos]

Alisson is the best, this season and overall. Mendy has been really impressive so far, although he doesn't have any standout features.

Mendy's only looked good because he's succeeded what's probably been the worst signed keeper in the PL since Taibi. He's been OK otherwise, excusing the occasional wobbles he's had. Chelsea could replace Kepa with a 37 year old Ben Foster and he'd still be a substantial improvement for them.

 

[adexkola]

I don't think it's down to luck. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement they put to their scouts when looking for a new keeper.

Shot stopping would be a higher priority, I imagine. But I'd say being good with your feet is up there with collecting crosses, considering how poor keepers like Ederson and De Gea are at it.

They are?

 

[Classical Mechanic]

They are?

Ederson has stopped 5 of 78 crosses this season which put him 12th out of the 20 regular keepers this season. DDG has stopped 4 of 96 which puts him 18 out of 20.

Nick Pope is 1st with 19 of 130 stopped.

 

[Slaxx]

This thread made me think, and I made a classification on what I've seen this season of al first choice goalkeepers.

Tier 1 - Worldclass
Alisson - What a signing. Still think his flair/style made him look a bit better than he actually is.

Tier 2 - Very good
Hugo Lloris - Good under Mourinho.
Ederson - Regressed a bit recently.
David de Gea - Regressed badly, very difficult to catagorize.

Tier 3 - Good
Nick Pope - Very decent, but still to be seen at a bigger club. How Burnley sets up, are perfect circumstances for him.
Bernd Leno - Not one of Arsenal problems.
Emiliano Martínez - Great. Still think Arsenal made the right decision.
Rui Patricio - Great. Probably outstanding tonight.
Édouard Mendy - Jury still out, but at the very least an upgrade on Kepa. Performances dipped a bit last few games. Likes a punch. Interesting to watch.

Tier 4 - Decent PL-goalkeepers
Vicente Guaita - The best of the rest for me.
Lukasz Fabianski - Badly missed last season when injured.
Alex McCarthy - Decent. Seems unbeatable two or three times a year.
Karl Darlow - Special mention to him, will probably keep his place when Dubravka returns.
Kasper Schmeichel - Regressed, think Leicester will look for an upgrade if form does not improve. Nevertheless, he was fantastic for them the last 5 years.

Tier 5 - Shows potential/not seen enough/some doubts/a problem
Alphonse Areola - What a diffence for Fulham compared to the shambles 2 seasons ago.
Illan Meslier - He likes to take risks, just like Leeds do. Will pay for that. A lot of potential though.
Sam Johnstone - Excellent games at Etihad and Anfield, at fault against Spurs. Will do well for them especially under Allardyce. Doesn't look like a modern goalkeeper, laks a bit of flair.
Matt Ryan - He's targeted by Potter. A bit too small for PL. Great reflexes and distribution, but vulnerable at crosses. Is he even still first choice?
Jordan Pickford - The less said the better. Difficult situation for Everton.

Tier 6
Aaron Ramsdale - Harsh as he was Bournemouths POTS last year. Difficult to be goalkeeper at a team without any confidence but made already a few mistakes. That £18,5m was massively overpaid. Will not be seen in PL the next few seasons.

 

[Bubz27]

They are?

You think De Gea is good at collecting crosses?

 

[Acole9]

I like McCarthy, not suggesting he's the best but I think he's underrated. There's not really anything special about him but he seems to be reliable and doesn't seem to make many mistakes.

 

[RUCK4444]

I don't think it's down to luck. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement they put to their scouts when looking for a new keeper.

Shot stopping would be a higher priority, I imagine. But I'd say being good with your feet is up there with collecting crosses, considering how poor keepers like Ederson and De Gea are at it.

Yeah Pep and Klopp no doubt like to have that trait in their keepers.

It’s of benefit no doubt but it’s one of those football things that you get sick of hearing about, like it’s a fundamental requirement.

 

[Tottenhamguy]

Don't think Pope is that good really to be honest. There is a reason why they are 4th from bottom with a GD of -12

 

[Cutch]

Don't think Pope is that good really to be honest. There is a reason why they are 4th from bottom with a GD of -12

That's more to do with their 8 goals scored all season than their 20 conceded (the same as Liverpool, Leicester and Wolves)

 

[adexkola]

You think De Gea is good at collecting crosses?

I think he prefers being on his line but I'm not uncomfortable on the rare occasion he does come out. He's not a flapper I think.

 

[Bubz27]

I think he prefers being on his line but I'm not uncomfortable on the rare occasion he does come out. He's not a flapper I think.

I have been one of De Bea's biggest fans but he is terrible at collecting crosses. You're right that he rarely flaps, but that's because he rarely comes out.