Let's Talk About Goalkeepers

Whilst there isn’t too much exciting going on in the world of football at present, I’ve been thinking about how to spice up the blog a little bit. That’s why I’ve decided to kick off a mini-series. The concept is simple. I’ll go through the Premier League and rank the top 5 players in each position (in my opinion). The first position will be all about the goalkeepers, and over the course of the next few months, I’ll run through the other positions. Let’s begin.

---

#5: Andre Onana (Manchester United)

At the number five ranking, we have United’s Andre Onana. I had a think about other keepers I could put here, maybe Nick Pope at Newcastle or Guglielmo Vicario at Spurs. But in the end, I think the Cameroonian just edges them out. It’s no secret I’m not his biggest fan. He can be erratic and his distribution with his feet leaves a little bit to be desired. However, he has slowly improved since he arrived at the club, looking a bit more like the player we saw at Inter. 

His shot stopping ability is probably his biggest asset, and rightfully so. We’ve seen at times, specifically last season, where he has saved United from utter embarrassment. It must not help him that the average shots United faced per game in his first season was the second most behind relegated Sheffield United. He’s quite agile, and his reflexes are pretty good. As I said there are areas for improvement, but I think fifth is about right.

---

#4: David Raya (Arsenal)

We have another keeper here that I initially didn’t rate that highly, and that’s David Raya. When Arteta made the bold choice to replace Ramsdale with the Spaniard, I thought this was a big mistake. But I, along with many other naysayers, have been proven wrong. The Spaniard has fully established himself as Arsenal’s main man between the sticks, while his predecessor is now longer at the club.

He's a keeper who’s good with his feet. I know he had that gaffe last season in the North London derby, but that was an anomaly. He was specifically bought by the club to fit their style of play, and his passing ability is critical to the way Arsenal move in transition: slick, passing football from front to back. If you were to ask me 12-18 months ago if I thought Arsenal could win the league with Raya as their keeper, I would have said hell no. Fast forward to today, they have a real good chance, in part, because of him.

---

#3: Emiliano Martinez (Villa)

Now we get to the good stuff. In third place we have Emi Martinez. It’s crazy to think that for eight years, he could barely get a game at Arsenal, and now, he’s a World Cup Winner and two-time Copa America champion. Funny on things can change isn’t it. I can go through the usual rigmarole about what makes him so good: his shot-stopping, the command he as in the penalty box. But for me, it’s more than that.

The word “aura” has become more common, not just in sport, but in everyday life. It’s a word that is rinsed so often, but so far, he’s the only one out of the keepers that I’ve mentioned that has a mystic about him, in my view. He is an imposing figure, and he has a way of getting into the heads of opposing attackers. You need evidence of this, just watch his save against Randal Kolo Muani in THAT World Cup final. He is a bit overrated, but he’s a top keeper.

---

#2: Ederson (City)

At number two we have Ederson from City. The biggest complement I can pay to Ederson is that I genuinely believe that he could be an outfield player for a lower league side. Okay, that might not be true but talk about a keeper who’s good with his feet, he’s on another level. He’s never afraid to take the ball on in uncompromising positions, to the point where you don’t get nervous when he does it because it’s second nature.

We talked about Raya being a key component of how Arsenal play, this is even more the case for Ederson at City. He’s by far the best passer of the ball at the keeper position that I’ve seen in the league, emphasised by his four assists during his time in the Northwest. His range of passing as well is something we’re not accustomed to, able to fizz a 20 yarder into midfield, as well as drill a 70-yard ball in behind the opposing defence. A true pioneer in his position and one of the best in the league.

---

#1: Allison (Liverpool)

I think we can all agree that the undisputed best keeper in the Premier League is Liverpool’s Allison. When Liverpool began their ascendency to perennial Premier League title challengers, one of the positions they needed to strengthen was goalkeeper. Since the Brazilian arrived in the summer of 2018, there’s been no one better. There was a period where he was in a bit of slump, but he’s overcome that and continued to be the great keeper that he is.

He's clearly the best shot-stopper in the league, and his cat-like reflexes are insane. In terms of modern keepers, in my view he’s the closest to the great Peter Schmeichel that we’ve seen in terms of his ability to save shots. He’s another keeper that makes attackers think twice when they are in on goal. There’s a reason why he’s viewed as the best one-on-one keeper arguably in the world. Him and Van Dijk were the missing pieces in Liverpool’s puzzle, and specifically with the Brazilian, they may not be where they are without him.

---

This Week’s Hot Take

I think it’s harder to be a keeper now than it’s ever been before. 20 years ago, all keepers were expected to do is save shots and make 5 yard passes to their defenders. Now, they almost need to act like outfield players, able to distribute the ball at all angles. Not to mention, seems as though there’s even more scrutiny on keepers than before.