Premier League keeper rankings: England keepers falling as Roefs reclaims top spot
Courtesy of the wonderful FBREF we’ve used the PSxG minus goals allowed metric to rank Premier League goalkeepers. ‘What the f*** is that?’ you might reasonably ask…
Post-shot expected goals is expected goals based on how likely the goalkeeper is to save the shot. When the number of goals they have conceded is subtracted, we are left with the figures below.
FBREF explains that positive numbers suggest better luck or an above-average ability to stop shots.
Including only those who have played three or more games, here’s how the Premier League shot-stoppers are performing this season.
And here’s who was the best goalkeeper in 2024/25.
1) Robin Roefs (Sunderland) +2.8
Only Martin Dubravka has made as many saves than Roefs but he was able to enjoy the Tyne-Wear derby in relative peace. Against no side has he faced fewer than the two shots Newcastle could muster, with another clean sheet following at Brighton
2) Bart Verbruggen (Brighton) +2.6
Verbruggen’s rotten record last season didn’t stop him once again being linked with the likes of Bayern Munich in the summer. In recent weeks, the Dutchman looked more like a goalkeeper who might catch the eye of the big boys after a shakier start to the season, with a clean sheet against Sunderland earned with one especially fine save from Omar Alderete’s header.
3) Martin Dubravka (Burnley) +2.3
Burnley appear in danger of being cut adrift but things might be worse were it not for their Slovakian stopper. No goalkeeper has made more saves than Dubravka having faced 10 more shots on his goal than anyone else. And he might have save of the season wrapped up after this late stop to preserve a win at Wolves.
=4) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) +1.9
Life is rarely quiet when Martinez has the mitts on. He began the season well, then tailed off quite alarmingly, but a clean sheet and a penalty save against Bournemouth was more like it. Then he went to Leeds and conceded a shocker before returning to Villa Park and playing a blinder. Most recently, he made seven saves v Arsenal with narrative out the wazoo. Sat out the win at West Ham before returning to help beat Man Utd.
=4) James Trafford (Manchester City) +1.9
Fat lot of good topping this list after the first three games did Trafford. This is likely to be his number for the rest of the season unless Gianluigi Donnarumma suffers a misfortune.
=6) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) +1.8
Henderson falls from the top of this ranking after conceding seven goals to Manchester City and Leeds from a PSxG of 4.9. Which won’t help him displace this fella…
=6) Jordan Pickford (Everton) +1.8
The England no.1 was a big climber after a superb performance and a clean sheet at Manchester United from a PSxG of 1.8, only to follow it up with a shocker against Newcastle. The clean sheets v Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest were more like it and though the PSxG at Chelsea – two conceded from 1.2 PSxG – doesn’t look great, Pickford was badly exposed by his defence. David Moyes’ back four was more on it against Arsenal, restricting the leaders to just one shot on target.
=8) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City) +1.1
The massive Italian has emerged as City’s undisputed No.1 to the shock of no one and the horror of James Trafford. Donnarumma eased himself in to the Premier League and has been making some important saves, like the double against West Ham to stop the Hammers getting back into the game at the Etihad.
=8) Nick Pope (Newcastle) +1.1
His England recall was scuppered by a concussion suffered at Brentford and a run of five clean sheets in the first seven games was followed by none in five. Pope had a shocker in the Champions League at Marseille amid calls for Aaron Ramsdale to be given a chance, with another injury giving Eddie Howe no choice but to change keeper for Newcastle’s first away win of the season.
10)Â Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur) +0.7
A dire few weeks for the Spurs keeper saw him booed by his own fans after being culpable for Fulham’s second goal, though the Italian is entitled to ask why none of his defenders thought to offer some cover while he went walkies in the corner. Vicario conceded eight goals against Manchester United, Arsenal and Fulham from a combined PSxG of 5.7 but under-conceded in that batsh*t game v Newcastle. He was pretty much untested v Brentford, but respite was brief before a shocker at Forest. Vicario copped it from Spurs supporters again against Liverpool when he conceded two from 1.3 PSxG but you would have to look very hard for reasons to be critical for either of the Reds’ goals.
11) Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) +0.5
A fine display against Arsenal, conceding once from a PSxG of 2.2, capped a run of a few positive performances from Sanchez that took the Spaniard into the black. And then he conceded three goals from five shots on target at Leeds. He might have been the only Chelsea player happy with a 0-0 v Bournemouth and though he conceded two at Newcastle, Sanchez could do little about either before helping himself to an assist for Joao Pedro’s leveller.
12) Senne Lammens (Manchester United) +0.2
Lammens dazzled United fans with some simple competency but the first questions were asked of the Belgian after Everton’s win at Old Trafford from 0.4 PSxG. Conceding four from Bournemouth’s PSxG of 3.3 was sub-optimal. Questions were asked after Marcus Tavernier’s free-kick which went ‘keeper’s side’ but we would be looking more at the wall set-up than any failure to react to the shot. Arguably, Evanilson’s strike was more saveable. At Villa, Lammens was beaten twice by Morgan Rogers, who United defenders appear to know nothing of.
13) Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest) -0.6
Last season’s joint winner of the Golden Glove award had a wretched few weeks, falling 13 places in this list before facing Leeds then Liverpool. In no game have Forest faced fewer shots on target than Arne Slot’s side managed at Anfield. But Sels was busy again – and beaten twice – against Brighton. The clean sheet at Wolves was very, very welcome. The battering by Everton and a groin twang less so.
14) Marco Bizot (Aston Villa) +1.0
Came back into the Villa team for the Brighton game after Martinez suffered an injury in the warm-up and returned once more at West Ham. Conceding five goals from 2.8 PSxG was sub-optimal.
=15)Â Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford) -1.1
Kelleher has been keeping the wrong company towards the foot of this list for most of his first season with the Bees but a penalty save at Wolves – even if he conceded it – sees the Irishman climb towards respectability.
=15) Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United) -1.3
Making just five saves in five Premier League appearances hardly screams ‘Make me Newcastle No. 1′. Powerless, though, to stop Nick Woltemade’s inadvertent derby decider. And beaten all ends up by Reece James’ free-kick from long range.
17) David Raya (Arsenal) -1.5
Raya has barely been tested for much of the season – no keeper has faced fewer shots per 90 – but when Arsenal have needed him, has he done enough? Reports suggest the Gunners might be looking to upgrade.
=18) Altay Bayindir (Manchester United) -1.6
Literally no one views Bayindir as a credible No.1, including Ruben Amorim. Since he was dropped for Lammens, United have regained shreds of credibility. Not a coincidence.
=18) Sam Johnstone (Wolves) -1.6
Johnstone hardly disgraced himself when he came in for Jose Sa but anyone keeping goal for Wolves is basically shifting deckchairs on the Titanic.
=20) Mads Hermansen (West Ham) -1.7
You have to feel for Hermansen. He seemed to be bought on the hop by the Hammers and was thrown into a team flailing badly. Taken out of the firing line now, with Areola back in under Nuno.
=20) Alisson (Liverpool) -1.7
Alisson’s return came as a relief after five games out but even he was powerless to stop Liverpool caving against Forest, who scored three from a PSxG of 2.5. The Brazilian wasn’t troubled even slightly by West Ham; Sunderland were a different story. Conceded three goals from five shots on target at Leeds United but kept out the only effort Brighton threw his way and performed pretty much as expected at Spurs.
22) Karl Darlow (Leeds United) -1.8
Darlow replaced Lucas Perri after the Brazilian sustained an injury and the stand-in’s form kept him in Daniel Farke’s XI. But Spurs and Burnley scoring four goals from an xG of 1.05 was not a good look on Darlow and Perri is back in.
23) Alphonse Areola (West Ham) -2.2
Areola was a big climber after matchday 12 at Bournemouth, moving from 23rd into the black after conceding twice from a PSxG of 4.1. But dipped again, especially after conceding three to Villa from a PSxG of 0.9. It’s hard to be too critical of him for failing to stop a Morgan Rodgers special, but perhaps a deeper start position would have taken out the risk of being bypassed by the dip and offered more reaction time. Little he could do to stop City scoring three.
24) Giorgi Mamardashvili (Liverpool) -2.4
Mamardashvili came into the side just as Liverpool had forgotten the basics of defending. There have been goals for which the big Georgian was beaten rather easily so a clean sheet against Villa was much-needed for his confidence. Only to be stitched up by Virgil van Dijk at City, where saving an Erling Haaland penalty couldn’t spare him from falling here.
25) Lucas Perri (Leeds United) -2.0
The Brazilian was one of the biggest climbers before conceding two to Villa from a PSxG of 1.5. Leeds fans are especially unhappy at his failure to move for Morgan Rogers’ free-kick which, admittedly, did not look good. Since then, performing roughly as expected, even if many remain unconvinced.
26) Bernd Leno (Fulham) -2.6
Leno was bouncing back from a poor season by his own high standards with an impressive start to this campaign but defeats at Villa and Bournemouth were expensive for the German when it comes to this particular metric. Clean sheets against Wolves and Sunderland provided a small boost, but conceding once at Tottenham to a PSxG of 0.5 was a small hit. Then he conceded five to Manchester City and two more at Burnley.
27) Jose Sa (Wolves) -4.3
The feeling remains that Wolves would have sold Sa last summer if they received an acceptable bid. Perhaps they should have been more open to offers. Allowing Leeds to score three from an xG of 0.5 was especially damning. Back now in place of Johnstone.
28) Djordje Petrovic (Bournemouth) -4.4
He’s no Kepa, is he? It has been a rotten few weeks for the Cherries keeper, who falls to the bottom of this ranking after conceding four at Old Trafford. United’s 3.3 PSxG was not as damning on Petrovic as Casemiro’s header that seemed to terrify the Serbian.
