While some veterans like Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) & Petr Cech (Arsenal) have looked distinctly average and have made a few mistakes which have cost their teams goals and points, some of the league’s leading lights have continued to deliver with distinction.
Some new entrants have also looked very good in their debut season as Premier League goalkeepers and would be looking to create an enduring legacy for themselves as time goes by.
The sweeper/keeper has become a full-blown thing as Pep Guardiola’s insistence on a goalie who is excellent with both hands and the ball at his feet which was mocked last season is now being seen in a new light.
Teams are now starting buildups from the goalkeeper unlike before where “just kick it long” was the mantra.
Here is a look at five of the best safe hands this season:
#5 Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea City)
It is no exaggeration to say that without the Pole’s contributions, the Swans would probably be dead certain for relegation right now.
Such has been the porous nature of the Swansea defence that on many occasions, Lukasz has had to make gravity-defying saves to either keep the score respectable, earn a point or secure a win.
While manager Carlos Carvahal deserves a lot of credit for the performance of the team since he took over, it should be noted that most of the games have either been narrow wins or draws (the exception being the 3-1 thrashing of Arsenal).
These narrow wins/draws have been down to the performances of the goalkeeper as he has refused to let defensive slip-ups affect his game and has continued his performances from where it was under former manager Paul Clement.
He will be key to Swansea hopes of survival and has amazing stats to back up his displays this season.
#4 Nick Pope (Burnley)
If anyone had said at the beginning of the season that Burnley would not miss Tom Heaton in the event that he gets injured, such a person would have had to be committed to a mental institution.
Such is the England international’s influence in the Clarets’ team that when he suffered a dislocated shoulder injury in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in September 2017, manager Sean Dyche rushed to sign former Manchester United goalie Anders Lindegaard.
He need not have worried, the perfect replacement for Heaton was already on the bench.
Since making his debut in the same game against Palace, Pope has made the Number One shirt his pulling off a string of impressive performances that have left Lindegaard firmly planted on the subs bench.
Agile, quick off his feet and a keen sense for organizing the defence, Pope has been a big factor in Burnley’s impressive run in the league.
It would be a surprise if he remains as the backup to Heaton next season as other Premier League clubs have already begun to make inquiries about his services.
#3 Thibault Courtois (Chelsea)
What stands out the most about Courtois is that he never tries to stand out or display for the cameras as other goalies want to do (De Gea is particularly guilty of this): he just gets on with his job and is better at his job than most of the other goalkeepers on the world
Even the most outrageous saves look easy and effortless for him and his face is always impassive, his movements always secure.
In a season that has seen all sorts of things happen at Stamford Bridge: the good, the bad and the absurd, he has stood out like a gigantic beacon of hope for his team-mates & fans alike.
Despite the many changes in the team’s backline due to manager Antonio Conte’s tactics or injuries, the Belgian international has continued to make the saves as evidenced by his clean sheet record (13 in 26 games).
But for certain reasons, he would be top of this list and nobody would complain, he has been that good.
The Blues will do well to get him to sign a new contract and soon before the grasping claws of Real Madrid swoop in to snatch this world-class talent away.
Also Read: Potential replacements for Courtois
#2 David De Gea (Manchester United)
Rumour has it that De Gea is demanding a £375,000 per week wage to sign a new long-term deal and resist the prolonged overtures from Real Madrid.
Based on his performances this season, Manchester United would be stupid in the extreme not to accede to his demands.
Simply put, the Spaniard coupled with the weaknesses of the other teams chasing the Top 4 spots have seen a shaky and misfiring United team cling on to second place behind a soon-to-be-crowned Manchester City.
Game after game has seen excellent save after wonder save as he has been the one player in Jose Mourinho’s disjointed Red Devil squad who has delivered consistently.
The game against Arsenal at the Emirates saw perhaps the best individual performance of the season as De Gea’s heroics gave United a wholly undeserved 3-1 win that night.
He has recorded the highest number of clean sheets so far (15 from 27 games) & will be integral to the team’s chances of seeing off the challenge of teams like Liverpool & Tottenham Hotspur.
#1 Ederson Moraes (Manchester City)
A lot of critics especially those of British descent laid into Pep Guardiola last season following his discarding of Joe Hart & purchase of Chilean Claudio Bravo from FC Barcelona to be the number one goalie.
Bravo’s first season in the Premier League was calamitous and forced Guardiola into going back into the market to get another goalie to play the way he wants the team to play.
Enter Ederson, the fearless, nerves-of-steel Brazilian from Portuguese giants Benfica for a goalkeeping transfer record fee of £34.7m
It has been money well spent as he has inspired a sea change in the defence line of Manchester City and has helped liberate the attack.
Quick off his line, brave in one-on-one situations, superb reflexes and a brilliant command of his defence, he has been at the heart of everything good that the Blues have done this season.
While his goalkeeping has been exceptional, his interpretation of the sweeper/keeper role is what has drawn the most plaudits as his pin-point passing and snuffing out of danger have helped City out of many sticky situations.
He has recorded 11 clean sheets amongst many other great stats but it is his importance to how the team players that has put him on top of this list.
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