da roleta： A good Goalkeeper is a must in the Premier League. With so many of the games competitive to the end, every decision is crucial, any mistake magnified under the lens of the media or to the derision of the fans.
da realbet： Strikers and midfielders, even perhaps defenders grab the headlines, while ‘keepers go about their work unassumingly and with minimal fuss, reacting as necessary when called upon which, for some, is not always that often.
A bit like a referee, you notice them if they have a poor game but tend to overlook them when they have a quietly solid game. A good goalkeeper might not win you a game, but a bad one can certainly lose it for you.
We’ve seen time and time again that it doesn’t matter how good your outfield 10 are, if the ‘man between the sticks’ isn’t of sufficient quality, you’ll struggle to win games.
With that in mind, here are the five best ‘keepers currently in the Premier League, in reverse order…
Jack Butland
Having played every minute of every game so far this season, the young English shot-stopper has firmly established himself as the clear no.1 for Mark Hughes’ Stoke side.
Understudy to Asmir Begovic last season, the 22-year-old has more than ably stepped up following the Bosnian’s move to Chelsea, and is one of the main reasons for Stoke’s impressive campaign and league standing.
He’s already made the most saves to date this season, his quick reactions and shot-stopping ability particularly eye-catching and it shouldn’t be long before he provides genuine competition to Joe Hart for England.
Joe Hart
Speaking of Hart, the shampoo-promoting Goalie comes in next on the list. Now in his ninth season of top-flight action with Manchester City, the England no.1 has become one of the faces of the Premier League in that time.
With City’s dominance in certain games, he is rarely required for large portions of the game, but has the ability to pull off World class saves when called upon.
His larger than life character and loud vocal instructions to a somewhat suspect backline (particularly when Kompany is missing) give him a strong presence at the Etihad, but the occasional tendancy to switch off means there’s always a mistake in him and is one reason why he’s not higher in this list.
Thibault Courtois
After three highly successful seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, the giant Belgian is now at his parent club Chelsea and was a key part of their 2014/15 title-winning side.
Standing at nearly two meters tall, his frame lends itself to a natural command of the penalty area, the ability to claim almost any cross into the box perhaps the standout feature of his game.
But despite his size he still gets down well and shows good speed and spread when facing attacking one-on-ones, and fully justified his selection over Cech by Mourinho last season.
David De Gea
Another former Atletico Madrid man, the Spaniard is remarkably now in his fifth season for Manchester United, bought by ‘Fergie’ in 2011 to replace veteran Edwin van der Saar.
On the brink of a transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid last summer, United did very well to keep him and his performances have been vital, particularly with the lack of goals at Old Trafford.
With a fine array of skills including lighting-quick reflexes and exceptional footwork and positioning, the 25-year old has established himself as a firm favourite with the United crowd and has quickly become one of the best goalies in Europe.
Petr Cech
A mixture of ability and experience puts Petr Cech top of the pile. After 11 trophy-laden, record-breaking seasons at Chelsea, the hat-wearing Czech now keeps goal for London rivals Arsenal and how they have benefited.
Ten clean sheets already this season have seen him break the Premier League record, and his command of the penalty area, communication and shot-stopping ability are second to none. Reliable when called upon, the 33-year-old still has plenty of good years left in him yet.
If the North Londoners go on to win the title, the performances of the Cech will have been a key factor in ending their long wait for the Premier League trophy.