Ranking the Top 10 Premier League Starting Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers are an often undervalued commodity across the world, and this is regularly the case in the Premier League—despite some of the world's best stoppers plying their trade in England.
Yet in the mother lode of talent that is the top-flight, who stands head and shoulders—physically and figuratively—above the rest? Is there one goalkeeper that truly imposes their will on the league like no other?
Based on statistics including goals conceded, clean sheets, saves per goal and variables surrounding command of the area, as well as shot-stopping ability and pedigree for the big occasions, we've ranked the 10 best starting net-minders in the Premier League.
Hugo Lloris makes up part of the elite three keepers, but is the Spurs and France No. 1 at the apex of our goalkeeping pyramid too? Flick through to find out.
All stats via Squawka.com.
Please note: these rankings only include current starting goalkeepers—as such, Petr Cech and others were not considered.
Honorable Mentions
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Fraser Forster, Southampton
Former Celtic man Fraser Forster has had an auspicious start to Premier League life, with a clean sheet against West Brom to his name. However, with a lack of experience at the highest level, it's difficult to include Forster in the top 10, despite starring in Glasgow for the past two seasons. More time at the top will boost the England international in these rankings.
Brad Guzan, Aston Villa
Brad Guzan just missed the cut after a string of determined displays for Aston Villa last season, but with fewer clean sheets and more goals conceded than the rest of these hopefuls, including our selection at No. 10, the statistics work against the American. Villa still have a capable keeper on their books, though.
Allan McGregor, Hull City
Scotland international Alan McGregor struggled with injuries last season, but had an assured campaign in Hull's return to the Premier League, the highlight of which was starting at Wembley in their FA Cup Final defeat. His strong form for the Tigers wasn't quite enough to fend off strong competition in this list, however.
Julian Speroni, Crystal Palace
Palace's ageless Argentinian Julian Speroni is a club legend at Selhurst Park, having been an Eagle since 2004, and last season's efforts were some of his best. He also fell just short of the top 10, despite having a great track record as a reliable Premier League-calibre stopper. Should some of the lower ranked 'keepers fall off the path, he'll be there to take their place.
10. Vito Mannone, Sunderland
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Boldly strolling into the top 10 is Sunderland's Vito Mannone. The Italian, formerly of Arsenal, has made his name after a string of excellent performances this season and last for the Black Cats, including a sterling outing in the League Cup semi-final where he denied Adnan Januzaj and Rafael in the vital penalty shoot-out.
Crucially, Mannone registered 2.83 saves per goal last campaign, proving crucial as Sunderland's goal survived many an onslaught in their dramatic bid for survival. His 11 clean sheets in 29 appearances wasn't bad, either.
His statistics per 90 minutes just did enough to stake his claim as a top 10 keeper, outlasting Guzan, McGregor, Speroni and others.
9. Tim Krul, Newcastle
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Tim Krul is the paragon of inconsistency.
Prone to both heroics—the World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica, which needs no introduction—and dropping the odd clanger, like his recent performance against Crystal Palace, Krul has potential but sometimes lacks composure.
He has the pedigree for the big occasion, that much is clear. Yet he lacks the reliability of his rivals to feature higher up on this list.
He still wins out on Mannone in the Tyne-Wear derby, though.
8. Simon Mignolet, Liverpool
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Not unlike Krul, his fellow native of the Low Countries, Liverpool's Simon Mignolet, is also prone to bouts of inconsistency. Registering less clean sheets per 90 minutes than any of the seven keepers above him in the list doesn't help his ranking, either.
Yet that doesn't mean Liverpool aren't in safe hands. The Belgian endeared himself to the Kop from day one after a penalty save against Stoke, and few have questioned whether Brendan Rodgers would have been wiser to keep Pepe Reina around, following some excellent Mignolet performances. He's Liverpool's No. 1, and should be for some time.
He's certainly a better option than Brad Jones...
7. Asmir Begovic, Stoke City
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Standing tall at No. 7 is Asmir Begovic, the beloved Bosnian of Staffordshire.
A well-rounded stopper competent in every area of goalkeeping, Begovic is almost certainly the single best player at Mark Hughes' disposal and one of the league's most underrated net-minders.
The Bosnian was one of the decisive factors in Stoke's ninth-placed finish, their highest in almost 40 years, and his unflappable demeanor and composure was at the heart of it all. He'll be at the core of Stoke's charge for European football this season, too.
6. Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal
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Just missing out on the top five is Arsenal's Pole in goal, Wojciech Szczesny.
Armed with supreme command of his area and excellent reflexes to deny a rapid barrage of shots, Szczesny is only ranked this low because of his decision-making—an area that continues to plague his development.
Behind the best Arsenal defence in a decade, Szczesny scooped one half of the Golden Glove last season for a league-best 16 clean sheets. Yet he, with the rest of his back four, remain culpable for Arsenal's defensive frailties on the road to the top three sides.
The remaining five keepers are truly some of the best at their position, and Szczesny hasn't got too much ground to make up to join their company. He's got the physical capabilities, that's for sure.
5. Tim Howard, Everton
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We're into the final five, and starring at No. 5 is New Jersey native Tim Howard.
The USMNT veteran is only getting better as he ages, evidenced by his performance against Belgium at this summer's World Cup which garnered worldwide acclaim. Now into his eighth season as a permanent fixture at Goodison Park, the American does occasionally show signs of vulnerability, but for the most part the consistency and composure is there.
With 2.88 saves per goal and a remarkable 15 clean sheets last season, the statistics and the hyperbole align to ensure Howard's place in the top five is well-deserved.
4. Joe Hart, Manchester City
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Despite spending part of last season on the sidelines at the Etihad, Manchester City and England No. 1 Joe Hart has earned a high ranking in our list, just missing out on the fabled top three.
Hart is beginning to show flashes of brilliance once more after an assured performance against Switzerland on Monday night for his country, and with a record of conceding less than a goal a game last year, the 27-year old is hanging tough after Costel Pantilimon relegated him to the bench in the previous campaign.
He'll have to continue this upshot of form in order to stay highly ranked, however.
3. David De Gea, Manchester United
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It's a victory, however small, for Manchester United over their cross-town rivals, as David de Gea pips his north-western counterpart in our rankings. The Spaniard is, on his day, the best pure shot-stopper in the league, with athleticism and reflexes that might well be considered unparalleled.
He was often sublime for his side last year, and his teammates acknowledged that contribution by honouring him with the club's Player's Player of the Year accolade. In such an ignominious year in the club's history, De Gea was a rare high point.
At 23, he still has plenty of time to improve if he wants to be king of the mountain. However, until then he needs to work on those two crucial statistics: clean sheets and goals conceded.
2. Hugo Lloris, Tottenham Hotspur
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France's No. 1 Hugo Lloris has been one of the finest 'keepers in the Premier League ever since his summer 2012 move from Olympique Lyonnais, and the definitive sweeper-keeper has been one of Tottenham's greatest assets all the while.
A shot-stopper with few equals with a footballing brain to match, Lloris is an intelligent and confident goalkeeper who has command of his area like virtually no other goalkeeper in the world. He makes mistakes, sure—but very rarely.
It was the closest of calls between him and his arch-nemesis, but there has to be a runner-up. In this case, Lloris fell just short. Read on to find out why.
1. Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea
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It's some world we live in, where the best goalkeeper in the league has made just three appearances in that league for his team. Yet at 22, with his position as Belgium's No. 1 firmly entrenched, a two-time winner of the Zamora Trophy and a La Liga winners' medal to his name, Thibaut Courtois absolutely justifies the acclaim of being the Premier League's supreme stopper.
Petr Cech, were he a Premier League starter, might have been one of the strongest rivals to this claim. The fact that Courtois ousted the reliable Czech without ever playing a Premier League game says enough about the Belgian international, but his performances for Atletico Madrid say even more.
The statistics confirm our placement: an astonishing 20 clean sheets, with just 24 goals conceded from 37 games in La Liga last season. His 2.73 saves per goal show that he was firmly in the fray, often called upon to defend Los Rojiblancos' net.
The scary thing is that Courtois has probably another 15 years of goalkeeping left in his career. In that time, he's almost certain to improve his game, ironing out the kinks and smoothing out the proverbial sharp edges in his repertoire.
The reign of brave little Belgium is only just beginning.
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