Who is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League in 24/25?
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.
Here’s how the Premier League keepers have performed this season, and at this early stage they must have started five of the first seven Premier League games.
1) Mads Hermansen (Leicester City): +4.4
Only one keeper has ever made more saves in a Premier League game than the 13 Hermansen managed against Arsenal. That was David de Gea against the Gunners in December 2017; the Foxes’ No. 1 was unfortunate that Mikel Arteta’s side are slightly better now. He was slightly less busy v Bournemouth.
2) Nick Pope (Newcastle): +3.2
Also ranks fourth for shots on target faced, while being singled out as “brilliant” by Pep Guardiola for his part in holding the champions. Shame he didn’t accost him on the pitch like he normally does when praising opposition players.
3) Andre Onana (Manchester United): +3.1
Saved a penalty v Southampton to boost his numbers, and then kept another clean sheet at Crystal Palace. And as bad as Manchester United were against Spurs, he prevented it from being even worse.
4) Alisson (Liverpool): +2.5
The best goalkeeper on this metric two years ago, and is in the mix again. He has the best save percentage in the Premier League at a smidge over 88%.
5) Ederson (Manchester City): +1.3
It’s rare that Ederson is forced into four saves in one Premier League game but he stood up to the challenge of Brentford. He then over-conceded (is that a thing?) v Arsenal but he could do little about Riccardo Calafiori’s peach. He was then brilliant in keeping out Adama Traore v Fulham. A Rodri-less City means a much busier Ederson.
6) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace): +1.1
Very motivated to make a point v Manchester United after their ‘criminal’ decision, but when not fuelled by spite you get two Dwight McNeil goals conceded from a PSxG of 0.6 against Everton.
7) Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham): +1.1
He struggles with set-pieces but his shot-stopping is pretty exemplary; he had under-conceded (is that a thing?) in all his Premier League games until that batsh*t game v Brighton.
8) Robert Sanchez (Chelsea): +1.0
Back-to-back clean sheets featuring a penalty save v Bournemouth, then partially culpable in a mad game against Brighton. Is behind only Alisson, Pope and David Raya in terms of save percentage.
9) Arjanet Muric (Ipswich Town): +0.4
A brilliant double save v Brighton earned Ipswich a second point of the season and made Vincent Kompany look even dafter for persevering with James Trafford for so long last season. A sound investment thus far. Made eight saves v West Ham and still let in four goals. Oh Ipswich.
10) Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton): +0.4
Southampton have been poor but they might have been slightly less poor without Ramsdale, who has signed up for a third relegation on his CV.
11) Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest): +0.2
One among many incompetent Forest keepers last season but has an 80% save percentage this season. He was excellent to safeguard a point v Chelsea.
12) Bart Verbruggen (Brighton): -0.5
Lucky to emerge just about in credit after conceding four goals v Chelsea, though perhaps only one goal was close to his fault. Was then pretty rotten v Tottenham.
13) Bernd Leno (Fulham): -0.6
Always a solid 75% save percentage kind of a keeper for Fulham. The first clean sheet of the season finally came against Forest, but then they went to Man City…
14) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa): -0.8
Not the sort of player you expect to see down here, but it took a rotten Manchester United for him to finally keep a clean sheet.
15) Mark Flekken (Brentford): -0.9
Consistently one of the worst goalkeepers on this metric last season, no keeper has made more saves than Flekken this season. Unfortunately, only Jordan Pickford has conceded more goals.
16) David Raya (Arsenal): -0.9
One of the best Premier League goalkeepers of the season so far if you judge on things like number of goals conceded and save percentage; he made nine saves v Man City but stats do not take kindly to Leicester scoring two goals from three shots on target.
17) Alphonse Areola (West Ham): -1.3
Not ideal but not the biggest area of concern for West Ham fans right now.
18) Sam Johnstone (Wolves): -1.4
Conceded 13 goals in five games as Wolves goalkeeper, including a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in which he did not make a save.
19) Jordan Pickford (Everton): -2.7
Facing 34 shots on target in seven games is sub-optimal. But not quite as sub-optimal as only saving just over half.