The Premier League has witnessed some truly remarkable shot-stopping no.1’s over the years; the likes of Van Der Sar, Seaman, Cech, Schmeichel and of course Chris Kirkland.

Now, not every squad has the perfect no.1 in-between the sticks, and for some, the pressure of the league is a bit too much to handle (literally). But we are currently in the midst of a great crop of players donning the jersey each week.

We’ve decided to rank every current Premier League no.1. This list is based on opinion and some statistical support, but mainly opinion. Because all opinion-based lists are subjective and often rile up the reader to breaking point because they’d have Leno at number 4 rather than our number 5 (spoiler alert), please do tweet any disagreement to @NextGoalWinBlog and we’d love to discuss your thoughts on the placement of Lukasz Fabianski on this list.

*We must acknowledge that although Ederson and Rui Patrício are their respective clubs’ starting keeper, both Manchester City and Wolves do not have a first-team no.1 player, meaning they are omitted from this list which will include the remaining 18 no.1 squad players. Additionally, we have included Mathew Ryan for Brighton, as he is currently listed as their #1.*

Enjoy!

Ranked…

18. Mathew Ryan (Brighton) – I debated whether to actually include Ryan in this list, as he is strangely on loan at Arsenal (yeah I don’t understand it really either). However, he is still listed as Brighton’s no.1, and thus makes the dreaded last spot on this list. Obviously it’s hard to consider recent performances as ultimately he isn’t playing football currently.

17. Jack Butland (Crystal Palace) – In a similar vein to Ryan, another talented player who simply isn’t playing, is Jack Butland. His recent move to Crystal Palace was genuinely quite surprising, as he had so much potential around 2015-2018, however his confidence appeared to have crumbled in his Championship seasons at Stoke. The move to Palace will hopefully build back up another quality English talent, and he will perhaps challenge Vicente Guaita for the top spot.

16. Tom Heaton (Aston Villa) – Tom Heaton must be one of the most unfortunate goalkeepers with injuries and competition for places. At Burnley he went on a fantastic run of form, only to be replaced by Nick Pope when injury struck. The move to Villa again appeared a lifeline to build on his impressive form and perhaps bring him back in contention for England, however another injury brought in Martinez, who has since appeared unstoppable for Aston Villa. He has since returned to fitness, however he’s unlikely to become the starting keeper at the club again. His position on the list doesn’t necessarily represent his talent, as he has shown to be a superb keeper when called upon, however his ability to maintain a starting place means he cannot be any higher on this list.

15. Alex McCarthy (Southampton) – McCarthy is Southampton’s starting keeper, however his performances have left a lot to be desired when needed. As Southampton look to climb up the leagues, it may be that the club decide to consider their former Celtic man, Fraser Forster.

14. Sam Johnstone (West Brom) – Sam Johnstone has a tough job keeping goal of the leakiest defence in the league. In their 26 games to date, they have conceded 55 goals, an average of over 2 per game (2.12 to be precise). Unfortunately, it’s that statistic that means he has to place in 14th on this list. While Johnstone is reliable and a decent keeper, the numbers place him very low unfortunately.

13. Martin Dúbravka (Newcastle United) – Because of injury, the Newcastle keeper has only appeared twice in this campaign for the club, however his placing on this list is on the seasons prior to this injury. In 2018, he won the North-East Football Writers’ Association player of the season award, and in 2020 was Newcastle’s player of the year. He has some real talent, and Newcastle will be hoping to get him back fit and playing as they face a tough run-in.

12. Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United) – Sheffield United overperformed last season, I think that’s now a fair judgement to make, and this year has been tough. Ramsdale has been at the heart of this tough time, as he came in as the replacement option for the superb Dean Henderson who had done so well on his 2 year loan at the club, earning the promotion and great league finish. However, despite being at the foot of the table, their goals conceded aren’t staggeringly poor, and are fairly consistent with those above them in the table. I honestly think Ramsdale will continue to progress and become one of the countries’ top stoppers.

11. Illan Meslier (Leeds) – After Kiko Casilla was suspended in the Championship winning season, Meslier, the young French keeper stepped up and has been almost irreplaceable between the sticks since for Leeds United. At just 21, he is showing confidence playing in the top-flight, and in recent reports, he apparently turned down big moves from clubs like Chelsea prior to joining the White Rose side. He has played in 21 of Leeds’ 26 gams thus far, and looks like a great keeper in the making.

10. Jordan Pickford (Everton) – Jordan Pickford is now a perfect middle ground of this list, as it’s so hard to predict how he will be in each game, and how he will progress from here. On his move to Everton, pretty much any Premier League side would have taken the keeper, as his stock was very high. However in recent seasons, some major errors and frailties have been exposed and left his England starting spot in question. Southgate seems keen on maintaining him in the role, however with criticism coming more and more, it may be that others around him are progressing and showing a bit better form for this summer.

9. Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham) – Fabianski has been around for 14 seasons in the Premier League, and at one time appeared as though he might become Arsenal’s no.1. However since then, he has had an okay spell at Swansea and now at West Ham where there are still ups and downs. In the 2018-19 season, he was West Ham’s player of the season, however the following campaign was a bit disappointing, and now this season and the success Moyes is getting from the side, he is back on form. If he is able to continue playing well for the entire season and West Ham keep getting results, they could genuinely challenge for Europe which would be a great success.

8. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) – It’s crazy to believe that the world’s most expensive keeper would make it just inside the top 10 in the Premier League, and had I included the 2 aforementioned keepers at City and Wolves, he wouldn’t have been inside the double digits, however that is where we are at. I honestly think there’s an issue of Kepa at the actual club, as he is a quality keeper and would be wise to move on as soon as possible. He is only 26 and is already a quality keeper, meaning a move in the next year or so could just spark his career and put him up amongst the top in the world. He has all the talent, however in the Premier League for Chelsea it just isn’t working. I hope he does return to the level and form many have seen previously, it may jut have to be outside the Premier League.

7. Alphonse Areola (Fulham) – In 7th is possibly one of the more surprising successes this season in Fulham’s No.1. Areola has played for PSG on over 100 occasions, whilst spending last season on loan at Real Madrid, and so his success isn’t necessarily surprising, however it is the fact that he and Fulham have outperformed I think most people’s prediction. At time of writing, the side have conceded just 32 goals, which is less than 11 of the other sides in the league, including Wolves, Everton and Liverpool. Many, including myself, had envisaged a disaster of a season for Fulham, however Areola is proving his worth between the sticks, and Fulham will surely be looking to make this a permanent move soon enough.

6. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) – Now, Lloris has had a mixed time of it recently in the Premier League, making some poor errors and lapses in concentration, however it can’t be understated that this man is the current France no.1, who of course are World Cup winners. That in itself places him high on the list, it’s just unfortunate that this success isn’t rubbing off on his teammates at Spurs.

5. Bernd Leno (Arsenal) – Leno is a solid keeper, a fine no.1, however perhaps with the side he plays for, that potential isn’t quite being maxed out. After the competition last season with the stunning Martinez, it looks like Arsenal may have made an error in selecting their first choice, however with Leno between the sticks, they still have a strong choice at no.1.

4. Nick Pope (Burnley) – In 4th, is the man who just missed out on the 19/20 golden-glove award on the final day of the season, and in my eyes (and many others), the man who should be England’s no.1 for the upcoming Euro’s, Nick Pope. Pope has wowed in his limited time in Burnley’s first-team, and despite missing a season through injury, he is now in his 3rd full season as the no.1 choice, and has been class throughout. If his form continues, he may go down as one of England’s finest.

3. David de Gea (Manchester United) – One of the league’s most debatable goalkeepers, De Gea is a solid performer and Manchester United’s player of the year for 3 years running (a club record) between 2013-2016. Over the last year or so, De Gea’s star-power has certainly dipped with the arrival of 2 quality Brazilian’s to the league, however he is still a quality keeper, who’s cat-like reflexes will match any other goalkeeper in the world. After a few errors, and being unwilling to play as the modern sweeper, De Gea has struggled to keep up with the demands from most of playing out from the back and does invoke fear when trying anything beyond a simple pass out. Despite this, he is undoubtedly sniffing around the top of this list, as he is a proven quality keeper.

2. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) – There’s something in the Schmeichel genes that must make you a top Premier League keeper. At risk of living in the shadows of his legendary father, Kasper has truly stepped out and has formed his own shadow at Leicester City, where he has been an integral part of their formidable rise through the league to become consistent top-6 contenders. He commands his area, produces some incredible saves and is a reliable servant in his role. There has been little/no high-profile error from the Dane to my knowledge, and the Leicester defence must be constantly reassured with the protection he offers.

1. Alisson (Liverpool) – In first, as the Premier League’s Number 1, No.1, is the 2018/2019 Premier League golden-glove winner, Champions League winner, Premier League champion and Copa América winning sweeper keeper, Alisson. Upon his arrival at Liverpool, many were left questioning the fee of around £70 million for the keeper, however those who questioned were made to eat their words ever since. He makes it to number 1 on this list for several reasons, his shot-stopping, consistency in performance, his role as a sweeper-keeper and his role in what has to be one of the greatest footballing sides of the century thus far. Both himself and Van Dijk seemed to bring with them on their Anfield arrival a sense of completion within the side, and finally topped off Klopp’s ambitious 11 which has since led to incredible success. Although in recent weeks he has created a few blunders and errors, there’s no doubt that this is a blip in what is otherwise an immaculate career for the Brazilian, and he will remain at the top of this list for many years to come.

Drop us a tweet @NextGoalWinBlog if you agree or disagree with our ranking.