Real Madrid and Belgium’s goalkeeping ace Thibaut Courtois had to face all sorts of disrespect despite a tremendous season individually in 2020-21 and another great run of form since the start of the new season. He didn’t even make it to the nominees for the FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper award. He finished 8th on the Yashin Trophy rankings, which is ridiculous, to say the least.
However, he has ignored all of this snubbing and has concentrated on his A-game this season and only a few other goalkeepers would match him stat-wise. This list is, therefore, an effort to rank the best goalkeepers among the top European Leagues at the present. It would be largely a statistical analysis with all stats being courtesy of FBref. While performance would be graded highly, parameters like career context, value to the team, level of competition, etc. would also be taken into account. We would look beyond awards and titles to determine who the top five goalkeepers are, based on present form.
5. Samir Handanovic, Inter Milan
Inter Milan is flying in the Serie A. And, Samir Handanovic has been the club’s mainstay as the man between the sticks and has absolutely brought out his A-game this season. The 37-year-old veteran has been as good as ever for the Nerazzurri playing and has featured in all 22 games for Inter so far in Serie A.
While he slightly edges Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy in key statistics like post-shot xG and a higher save percentage, Handanovic has been much, much better with his feet than the Senegalese keeper who had a close case of making it into the top five.
In fact, he has a higher save percentage (81.1) in domestic leagues than any of the players on this list, and yet, he ends up only fifth because of his form in the Champions League. While he isn’t the only one to blame for the goals inter has conceded in the Champions League, the veteran has struggled to keep up his save percentage on the continental stage.
His clean sheet percentage has been a healthy 45.5% and most importantly, Inter Milan has been able to put his brilliant goalkeeping form to good use. It looks like the Nerazzurri are on course to defending their Serie A crown and they have made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League after a long gap.
Samir Handanovic stops everything that can be stopped it is only the most accurately placed finishes or the snapshots resulting from defensive errors that have found a way through. It is great to see him play so well at 37 years of age.
4. Ederson, Manchester City
Brazil and Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper, Ederson has been on top form this season. Much like Handanovic, Ederson too has been his club’s mainstay in goal having played all of the Premier League and Champions League fixtures for Manchester City thus far in the season. His better share of performances has certainly been from the Premier League.
While he has a decent 73.5% save percentage, it accounts for a brilliant 54% clean sheet rate. He is definitely guarded by a brilliant central defense comprising of names like Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias. Given his brilliant clean sheet rate, it is natural that he has the highest clean sheets among all the players on this list in their respective domestic leagues. (15)
Much like Handanovic, Ederson hasn’t had the best of campaigns in the Champions League having conceded eight goals in five games. However, he is the standout among all keepers in terms of his footwork. He has the highest pass completion rate of passes launched at 60.7%. While there are goalkeepers who have stopped more crosses, his percentage of stopping crosses is the best among all keepers on the list at 9.2.
At 28 years of age, Ederson is definitely in his prime and can look to cement his position at being the owner of Manchester City’s goals for seasons to come. The sort of commanding keeper he is developing into is reflected by the amount of confidence he has in making defensive interventions outside the box. That is what sets him apart from all other keepers. Averaging 1.09 defensive actions outside the box per game, he has already made 24 actions this season in the Premier League, he is a man with confidence up to the brim.
3. Yassine Bounou, Sevilla
Yassine Bounou of Sevilla or simply Bono as his shirt would say has been a standout keeper in LaLiga this season. He is having one of the best statistical records this season yet he is so underrated to land among these discussions. However, when I said I’d be looking outside awards and titles I meant it. When we speak of goalkeepers in 2021-22, it becomes very hard to keep Bono out of the discussion.
The Sevilla keeper has an 80% save percentage in LaLiga and a tremendous 81.3% in the Champions League, that is a class apart from the two players we have discussed so far, and yet, we do not discuss such deserving players because their clubs cannot win titles. What’s even sadder is that Bono has maintained similar stats in the last couple of seasons too and yet, there hasn’t been any mention of him among the discussions of standout goalkeepers.
This season though, it has been a brilliant story, Sevilla is second on the points table in LaLiga and this could finally be the season, the brilliant Sevilla players get their due credit from international media. Bono has certainly put his best foot forward this season, other than being even so reliable between the posts, he is also trying to impress with his feet. He is launching more balls than any of the players on this list (60.2%) and has a decent completion rate of 40.7%, the third-highest among these players to be precise.
Bono has also saved a penalty in LaLiga and allowed one that accounts for a penalty saving rate of 50%. The same is the case in the Champions League where he has faced four penalties and conceded two. He has been Sevilla’s mainstay this season and certainly, Bono stands out as a top 3 keeper this season as far as stats are concerned.
2. David de Gea, Manchester United
David de Gea has been the best keeper in the world based on current form and if other parameters wouldn’t have had an impact on these rankings he’d have surely been at the top. But, as things stand right now there is one keeper whose brilliance in the goal has reflected so much better in his team’s results that de Gea will have to settle for the second spot on this list.
First things first, he has faced the most shots on target than anyone on this list, and yet he has maintained a decent save percentage of 73.4 in the Premier League and 72% in the Champions League. He has the highest scores in post-goal xG minus goals allowed (9.8) and is completing roughly 40% of his passes. He has been a great well-rounded package, good with his hands, great distribution, and a brilliant penalty-saving form!
Manchester United really needs to be grateful to de Gea. It is because of his heroic penalty saves that united enjoys a top-four position in the Premier League. He has saved three of the four penalties he has faced this season which accounts for a 75% penalty save rate. That is a brilliant record to have.
He is 30 years old at the moment and although he has lost the first-choice position in the Spanish National team to Unai Simon, he continues to be a pillar for the Reds. If United’s on-field players can imitate his success within the post then United could be looking at a respectable finish in both competitions they are alive in.
1. Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois enjoyed a brilliant season in 2020-21 but Real Madrid couldn’t win a single trophy and that is why a lot of their standout performers were snubbed by the annual award committees. Thibaut Courtois was one of them. The Belgian has continued to perform at the highest possible level for seasons now, and yet, there has been next to none in terms of recognition.
This season, however, it’s a different narrative. Thibaut Courtois has already been the star in the season’s first title for his team, Real Madrid in form of the Spanish Supercup. He saved a penalty in the dying embers of the final to deny a way back for Athletic Club. He has also saved two penalties in LaLiga and has allowed only one which also was on a rebound.
Real Madrid is playing a very defensive line this season which is why they are conceding more and as a result, Courtois’s clean sheets have taken the hit. But even without it, there is a lot for Courtois to make his case as the most in-form goalkeeper in the world right now.
He has the highest save percentage in the Champions League at 88% conceding one goal every 180 minutes. In LaLiga, Real Madrid’s open gameplay has meant a reduced saving percentage at 74% which is still the third-highest on the list. Moreover, Courtois has also stopped the most number of crosses (18) at a stopping percentage of 9.1.
Thanks to every cm of his height, Real Madrid has conceded just one goal from a set-piece and that speaks a lot about Courtois’s attentive play, he is always alive to the snapshots and is dropping masterclasses at a frequent rate. Already with a title and on course to win LaLiga, Thibaut Courtois could make the charts move to his advantage and he may finally be given the due credit by the annual award committees in world football. Needless to say, Courtois has continued in the same form for his National team, Belgium as well. What a great keeper he is!