We’ve used stats to rank the Prem keepers and the numbers highlight how important Alisson has been for Liverpool.
Courtesy of the wonderful FBREF we’ve used the PSxG minus goals allowed metric to rank the top-flight stoppers. ‘What the f*** is that?’ you might reasonably ask…
Post-shot expected goals is expected goals based on how likely the goalkeeper is to save the shot. When the number of goals they have conceded is subtracted, we are left with the figures below. FBREF explains that positive numbers suggest better luck or an above-average ability to stop shots. We’ve included only those goalkeepers with eight or more appearances, so no place just yet for your Fraser Forsters or your Keylor Navases.
1) Alisson (Liverpool): +9.5
Reclaims top spot after the SEASON-TURNING VICTORY over a genuinely abysmal Everton side. Hugely impressive numbers these, though. Liverpool might be fortunate to be as high as sixth in the actual table.
2) Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea): +5.6
Conceded four goals in his last three Premier League games to leave a massive dint in what are still pretty impressive numbers. Imagine how mad things could be for Chelsea.
3) Bernd Leno (Fulham): +4.9
Leno was always too good to sit on Arsenal’s bench and the German has been a very astute purchase for Fulham as they embark on a European push that absolutely no one saw coming. And he’s a busy boy in that Fulham goal.
4) Neto (Bournemouth): +4.0
Since signing for Bournemouth from Barcelona in August, Neto has brought some reliability to a goal where previously there was little. The contrast there between him and Mark Travers is stark, and never starker than in the backs-to-the-wall draw against Newcastle and the unexpected win over Wolves.
5) Jordan Pickford (Everton): +2.4
Has been largely excellent for a rotten Everton side this season, but he won’t look back on the Merseyside Derby with great fondness.
6) David Raya (Brentford): +2.5
More saves than any other keeper in the Premier League. They really have got this so right.
7) Nick Pope (Newcastle): +2.2
Pope was one of the signings of the summer for only £10million from Burnley. The England stand-in has 12 clean sheets already this term – two more than nearest challenger David De Gea. But he had an absolute brain fade v Liverpool. Must have been the toxic rivalry.
8) Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham): +1.2
The Hammers keeper really cannot be blamed for the sh*t-show happening in front of him.
9) Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal): +1.1
Back in the green after two consecutive clean sheets for the Gunners.
10) Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace): -0.2
Average season for a very average team.
11) Edouard Mendy (Chelsea): -0.3
One of Thomas Tuchel’s last acts was to drop Mendy and Graham Potter has seen no reason to bring back the Senegal stopper. He looked great when he first signed – perhaps because he was a relatively safe pair of hands compared to when Kepa was chucking them in – but Potter seems to prefer the Spaniard’s all-round game, which means an extended stay on the sidelines for Mendy.
12) David de Gea (Manchester United): -1.2
Only Nick Pope has more clean sheets than De Gea this season, but the overall underlying numbers are not impressive enough to protect his future at Manchester United. He was excellent in the Carabao Cup final, mind.
13) Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa): -1.5
Best keeper in the world? Martinez evidently thinks so. The stats beg to strongly disagree. Which is frankly hilarious.
14) Robert Sanchez (Brighton): -1.9
Spanish Bob forced his way into the national team reckoning with his form after becoming the Brighton No.1, but has he really maintained those levels? Last season, he finished with a PSxG of -1.1. Even if his form has waned, it doesn’t seem to have put off the likes of Spurs and Chelsea.
15) Hugo Lloris (Tottenham): -2.3
After 145 caps, for the first time in almost 15 years, France have to think about a future without their No.1. That day is surely coming for Spurs too, even if the 36-year-old has a couple of years remaining on his deal, with no-one making more errors that have led to goals this season. Currently injured, his deputy Fraser Forster has an alarming score of -2.0 after shipping six goals in his three Premier League appearances so far for Spurs.
16) Jose Sa (Wolves): -2.9
It has been a tough time to play behind that Wolves defence but at least Julen Lopetegui seems to have firmed them up a bit. Sa has played some of the season with a broken bone in his wrist and he has saved both penalties he has faced. But the Portugal keeper will be looking to improve his own standards through the second half of the season to something closer to those that made him the Premier League’s best performer in this metric last season.
17) Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest): -4.1
“I didn’t really want the manager to see me in training because I knew he’d probably want to keep me,” said Henderson about United boss Erik ten Hag. The Forest loanee presumably hopes he doesn’t see his stats too.
18) Danny Ward (Leicester): -4.4
Ward’s fortunes have mirrored Leicester’s. He had a wretched start to the season but he was largely unprotected, especially at set-pieces. Since the Foxes got their act together, Ward has looked more assured, though he still needs to convince many that he should be No.1 long-term.
19) Ederson (Manchester City): -4.6
Ederson remains the ideal goalkeeper for Manchester City but still some way from being the perfect goalkeeper. City play a high line, like Liverpool, but Ederson is rather more rash than his compatriot Alisson when it comes to dealing with one-versus-ones and his save percentage stats put him in the relegation zone with conspicuous strugglers Mark Travers and Gavin Bazunu. Still, if that’s the price for Ederson’s passing and composure in possession, Pep Guardiola is clearly willing to pay.
20) Illan Meslier (Leeds): -5.8
Leeds fans love Meslier, and plenty of other clubs are apparently watching the young Frenchman, but his numbers aren’t great. Last season, he finished with a PSxG of -16.2, so you could argue that this term has brought about an improvement, with Leeds’ defence protecting him marginally better.
21) Mark Travers (Bournemouth): -6.9
The numbers look even worse for Travers. He has the lowest saves percentage in the Premier League at 51.7%, compared to his rival for Bournemouth’s gloves, Neto, who is second behind only Nick Pope.
22) Gavin Bazunu (Southampton): -11.1
Maybe the Southampton goal is no place for a youngster this season. Bazunu was superb for Portsmouth in League One last year but the step up to the Premier League has been a big one for the Republic of Ireland stopper.
