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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 stage they must have started 10 Premier League games. 1) Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham): +4.
6 He struggles with set-pieces but his shot-stopping is pretty exemplary; ridiculously, he had to make six saves to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth. Such is the lot of a Spurs goalkeeper under Ange Postecoglou. 2) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace): +3.
8 Crystal Palace are one of the Premier League’s form teams and Henderson is a key reason. Kept his ninth clean sheet of the season v Ipswich Town and made seven saves. 3) Ederson (Manchester City): +3.
7 He’s a lot busier without Rodri. Except when he’s not allowed to play at all. Returned to the Premier League to keep a clean sheet v Ipswich and was then excellent in victory over Chelsea.
Somehow back on the bench for the gubbing by Arsenal before returning with an assist and clean sheet against Newcastle before being Liverpooled at home. Kept an impressive clean sheet v Tottenham. His sixth clean sheet of the season v Leicester City required him to make exactly zero saves.
4) Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham): +2.3 Made eight saves to protect a point v Bournemouth as the old man proved he’s still got what it takes. Was excellent v Brighton, particularly to save a deflected effort from Yasin Ayari, and then made a series of saves v Southampton before being stretchered off with a head injury.
Returned to over-concede v Fulham but he was at least on the winning side. He under-conceded v Palace and lost. Now on the West Ham bench.
5) Mads Hermansen (Leicester City): +2.2 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 settled into mid-table of this list through October/November but he made seven saves v West Ham as Leicester returned to winning ways . And then made another five v Brighton.
Returned from injury to find Leicester worse than ever but at least he under-conceded v Chelsea and Man City. Whoop. 6) Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest): +2.
0 One among many incompetent Forest keepers last season but has a 74.2% save percentage this season and 13 clean sheets, making him the favourite for the Golden Gloves award. Which he would deserve rather more than David Raya.
7) 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. He made five v Bournemouth alone.
8) Kepa (Bournemouth): +1.6 Conceded 10 goals in his last five Premier League games but the overall picture is that Kepa has saved Bournemouth a couple of goals this season, though it’s worth noting that his deputy Mark Travers (now on loan at Middlesbrough) has apparently saved the Cherries more in just five games. 9) Andre Onana (Manchester United): +1.
4 Kept a much-needed clean sheet v Leicester City but his save percentage for the season is still sub-70%. 10) David Raya (Arsenal): +0.9 Arsenal have the lowest PSxG against them this season so it’s hard for a goalkeeper to truly shine.
But these numbers – and 11 clean sheets – show that he is pulling his weight. Had to make five saves v Manchester United as Arsenal were sloppy . 11) Martin Dubravka (Newcastle United): +0.
9 Kept five clean sheets in nine games at one point. Even shipping four goals v Bournemouth did him no harm because the PSxG for the game was 4.1.
But Manchester City’s four goals came from a PSxG of 2.8 which hurt. 12) Jordan Pickford (Everton): +0.
5 Played excellently v Manchester City and Bournemouth to edge into the black after being exposed by Nottingham Forest (and his manager). Kept an eighth clean sheet of the season at Brighton and then a ninth v Leicester when he could frankly have had a fag. Slipped down this table after conceding twice v Manchester United from a PSxG of just 0.
3. But was excellent against West Ham. 13) Robert Sanchez (Chelsea): +0.
5 Has the best save percentage in the Premier League but still gets pelters from pundits. He dropped back-to-back clangers against Wolves and then Man City before himself being dropped by Enzo Maresca. Returned to keep a clean sheet v Leicester but was barely tested.
14) Nick Pope (Newcastle): -0.1 Returned from injury v Nottingham Forest and conceded at least one more goal than he should. And then repeated the trick v Liverpool.
Kept a clean sheet v West Ham and was only beaten by a penalty v Brentford. 15) Alisson (Liverpool): -0.3 His save percentage is the lowest of his career this season; he’s lucky that he has not been tested a great deal as that Liverpool defence is the best in the Premier League.
Was brilliant v PSG and then poor v Southampton. 16) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa): -1.1 There has definitely been a late upswing in form, with just two goals conceded in his last seven games for club and country.
17) Arijanet Muric (Ipswich Town): -1.6 Was very poor in the 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United, taking him into the black for the first time this season. Then dropped after the Arsenal defeat in which he was much better.
Recalled v Southampton and Ipswich somehow lost 2-1. Alex Palmer is the captain now. 18) Stefan Ortega (Manchester City): -2-0 Nobody is saying these days that Ortega is actually better than Ederson, you know.
19) Bernd Leno (Fulham): -2.7 His save percentage has dropped from 72% to 68% this season. 20) Jose Sa (Wolves): -3.
5 Doing just about enough to help keep Wolves out of relegation bother. 21) Alphonse Areola (West Ham): -3.8 Stemmed the flow of goals under Graham Potter at least.
22) Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton): -3.9 Was supposed to make a big difference to Southampton; has apparently not made a big difference to Southampton. 23) Bart Verbruggen (Brighton): -4.
2 Is he going to cost Brighton a place in Europe? Brighton should have conceded roughly the same number of goals as Newcastle this season and Brighton have not, leaving themselves three points behind that fifth-place Champions League spot. Bart Verbruggen as Rashford runs through on goal: #BHAFC pic.twitter.
com/gZlQpzlpc8 — MwepuMagic (@MwepuMagic) April 2, 2025.
