2024/25 Premier League Goalkeepers Ranked by Goals Prevented

Over the years, more and more ways to track player performances through data have emerged. One huge metric that is used at great length these days is expected goals, commonly known as xG. This is a certain form of data used to measure how good a chance is when someone takes a shot and identifies whether they should have scored it or not. On the flip side, expected goals saved effectively represents the number of goals a ‘keeper should have let in but didn’t, and therefore, how much they have over-performed when it comes to shot-stopping.

For example, if a shot has a high xG attached to it, then a keeper has done an incredible job if they manage to keep it out. On the other hand, if they fail to keep a shot out that has a low xG, then they’ve underperformed and should have made the save. Taking all of that into account, we’ve decided to bring you the results in terms of this season’s Premier League goalkeepers and with stats shared on FBref, we’ve ranked which shot-stoppers have performed the best and worst when it comes to how many expected goals they’ve saved during the 2024/25 season so far.

27-16

The lowest performers in the Premier League

Having a dependable goalkeeper can be the difference between safety and relegation. Some keepers are massively underperforming this season and their respective teams’ positions in the table are a reflection of that. Everton have had a torrid start to the campaign and Jordan Pickford is off to a terrible start himself. The usually reliable shotstopper has struggled so far, letting in 3.2 more goals than the data suggests he should have and there are rumours that his position in the side is under threat. Only Jose Sa has done worse with the Wolverhampton Wanderers man letting in 3.3 more, but his time in the side will be limited going forward with the arrival of Sam Johnstone.

There are plenty of other struggling keepers, with Emiliano Martinez (2.2), Alphonse Areola (1.0), Jason Steele (0.5) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (0.5) all letting in more goals than the data hints that they should have. Surprisingly, though, they’re the only keepers in the league actually underperforming in terms of the expected goals allowed.

Matz Sels, Alex McCarthy, Christian Walton, Lukasz Fabianski, Robert Sanchez and Mark Travers are all also in the bottom section of the list, but they have all conceded fewer goals than they have been expected to so far, so they’re by no means underperforming.

15-11

David Raya is included here

Between 11 and 15, we have some notable names, including David Raya at Arsenal and the man he replaced at the Emirates in Aaron Ramsdale. The Spaniard has only conceded one goal so far this season, but the data suggests he should have let another 1.1 goals in already. He replaced Ramsdale at Arsenal and the Englishman joined Southampton this summer to find game time. His team have lost every game so far this season and he’s conceded six times since his arrival, but it actually could have been worse with the expected goals statistics showing he should have conceded 0.7 more.

Other keepers in this section include Sam Johnstone, whose move to Wolves has gotten off to a solid start for himself individually, but it’s been a rough start for the side. Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen has let in 0.9 fewer goals than he apparently should have at this point, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Guglielmo Vicario is just in front of him, having conceded one goal less than he is expected to have.

10-6

Ederson & Alisson both rank here

Now in the top 10, we have some of the best keepers in the Premier League and the world here in Alisson and Ederson. The Liverpool and Manchester City players respectively have both conceded less than they were expected too. Pep Guardiola’s man is overperforming in terms of expected goals conceded by 1.3 strikes, while his international teammate is slightly ahead of him with 1.4.

Tied with Alisson is Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen. Dean Henderson has made the starting position at Crystal Palace his own following Johnstone’s departure this summer and he’s made the most of it so far. The Englishman has conceded 1.2 fewer goals than the data claims he should have and Fulham’s Bernd Leno is ranked just below him, with 1.1.

Related

Who are the world’s best goalkeepers? Check out our rankings

For a team to stand any chance of prolonged success, they need a reliable goalkeeper in between the sticks. There’s a ceiling on the heights a team can reach if they aren’t protected at the back by an elite shot-stopper. Adding one to your side can transform it from teetering contender to championship dynasty, as we’ve seen in the past, with the likes of Alisson Becker and Ederson taking Liverpool and Manchester City respectively to levels of success they wouldn’t have reached without them.Let us know your thoughts on our selection of the best keepers in the world right now and ranking in the comments.

5-1

Neto & Nick Pope are the top performers

Now among the top five, we have the very best performers this season so far. Brentford were expected to struggle this season, but Mark Flekken’s excellent form in between the sticks has helped prevent that. The Bees are currently ninth in the table and he’s conceded 1.5 goals fewer than he should have. Similarly, Ipswich Town have exceeded expectations so far. Granted not by much, with the Tractor Boys picking up two points so far and finding themselves 17th, but they could have been much worse off and Arijanet Muric has been key to that, with 1.7 less goals conceded than expected.

Andre Onana is third, with 1.8 and that comes in spite of a disappointing start to the season for Manchester United who have picked up six points out of a possible 12 so far. Tied in first place, though, are Nick Pope and Neto who have both conceded 2.3 fewer goals than the data suggests they should have.

Neto has only played twice, with Travers and Kepa both getting time in Bournemouth’s goal as well, but considering his form, Andoni Iraola would be wise to rely on him going forward. Newcastle United have enjoyed their strongest start to a Premier League campaign in decades. They haven’t been at their best performance wise at times, but Pope has been superb in goal and the proof is in the statistics.

All statistics courtesy of FBref and accurate as of 16/09/2024