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 six Premier League games.
1) Nick Pope (Newcastle): +3.8
Ranks third for saves, while being singled out as “brilliant” by Pep Guardiola for his part in holding the champions. He did not have a single save to make v Arsenal, which is far more damning of the Gunners than Pope.
2) Mads Hermansen (Leicester City): +3.3
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 a little less busy v Bournemouth, too busy again v Southampton and then actually uncharacteristically poor v Forest and Ipswich Town.
3) Andre Onana (Manchester United): +3.0
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. He is far from United’s biggest problem, though his save percentage is sub-70%.
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): +2.1
It’s rare that Ederson is forced into four saves in one Premier League game but a Rodri-less City means a much busier Ederson, and he hit that mark v Brentford and Bournemouth; it wasn’t enough against the latter.
6) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace): +2.1
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. But he was brilliant in almost keeping out Nottingham Forest, then bagged another clean sheet v Spurs.
7) Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham): +1.4
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. Made five saves v Crystal Palace and then none v Aston Villa.
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 and Matz Sels in terms of save percentage but still gets pelters from pundits.
9) Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest): +1.0
One among many incompetent Forest keepers last season but has an 82.4% save percentage this season. He was excellent to safeguard a point v Chelsea and then a clean sheet v Crystal Palace. Was barely tested v Leicester City and West Ham.
10) Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton): +0.3
Made five saves to keep a first clean sheet of the season v Everton. He will need many more to keep the Saints in the Premier League.
11) Arjanet Muric (Ipswich Town): +0.1
A very, very busy boy in that Ipswich goal but just about emerges in credit.
12) Bart Verbruggen (Brighton): -0.1
Faced 6, 7 and 8 shots on target in his last three Premier League games so conceding five goals puts him just about on par. Definitely Brighton’s No. 1, which is an improvement on last season.
13) David Raya (Arsenal): -1.1
Conceded the same number of goals (11) as Guglielmo Vicario and Ederson, but the quality of the chances that Arsenal are conceding are significantly lower. Which is how he finds himself here.
14) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa): -1.4
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. Saved a penalty v Fulham to boost his numbers but was poor v Tottenham in 4-1 defeat.
15) Bernd Leno (Fulham): -1.4
Unusual to see Leno this far down the page, but conceding six goals in two games v Man City and Aston Villa put a big old dent in his numbers. Definitely better v Everton but had little to do v Brentford.
16) Mark Flekken (Brentford): -1.8
Consistently one of the worst goalkeepers on this metric last season, no keeper has made more saves than Flekken this season. Unfortunately, nobody has conceded more goals.
17) Jordan Pickford (Everton): -2.3
Back-to-back clean sheets as Everton have recovered their form nudged his numbers close to even, but then they somehow lost to Southampton.
18) Alphonse Areola (West Ham): -3.6
Worst save percentage in the Premier League.
