Hands of God – In pursuit of the best Goalkeeper of the English Premier League

Some say that this is the most difficult job in the world, where one must put their body and soul on the line to serve and protect their territory, put all at risk for victory and everlasting glory. No, I am not referring to the Army, Navy or the Air Force but I am referring to a battlefield, albeit a small one with an area of just over 1.75 acres, recognized the world over as a football (or in some countries, soccer) pitch and at either end stand two men, carrying out that difficult job for 90+ minutes as thousands await with baited breath for the battle to end.

“Being a goalkeeper gives you quite a unique perspective on things. You are part of a team yet somehow separate; there are no grey areas, with success or failure being measured in real time; and you have a physical job which you can only do well by paying attention to your mental well-being. A good goalkeeper has to have the keys to a great mindset. To be able to work well in the box, I believe you have to be able to think outside the box” - Brad Friedel
The above quote sums up what makes a good goalkeeper. Add to that certain physical attributes such as speed, agility and the innate ability of just letting oneself go, and you have a great goalkeeper.
The English Premier League, currently, has some absolutely brilliant men manning the posts for their respective teams but there can only be one best goalkeeper. The top contenders for the post are:
1. David De Gea (Manchester United)
2. Joe Hart (Manchester City)
3. Petr Cech (Chelsea)
4. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
5. Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)
6. Simon Mignloet (Liverpool)

Each of the above are terrific at what they do and it is very difficult to choose the best amongst them; however, since we must, let us now try to find out the first among equals.
David De Gea had a rather rocky start at Manchester United after his transfer from Atletico Madrid with his ball handling skills being far below his shot-stopping ability and lightning fast reflexes. As a result, during his first season, he lost his spot to reserve keeper Anders Lindergaard on multiple occasions. But as the season is progressing, we are seeing a new and improved De Gea. He has clearly been working on his shortcomings and one could say that his box and ball handling skills are almost at par with his other highly developed attributes. This season, De Gea has played in eleven matches with 33 saves and 3 clean sheets.

Joe Hart has been Manchester City’s mainstay between the sticks since the 2010-11 season and over a year ago, he would have easily been at the top of the list but his recent form has not been much to speak about, conceding nine goals in 2013 through personal errors alone. But the fact remains that we all know what Joe Hart is capable of, and if he manages to pick up his game in the near future, he can be lethally efficient. This season, Hart has played in nine matches with 19 saves and 3 clean sheets.

Petr Cech, at 31 years, is one of the world’s most respected goalkeepers and Chelsea’s stalwart. He may not be at the same level that he was when he was first picked up by Mourinho but what he may have lost in terms of agility, he has more than made up for in experience. Conceding lesser goals than competition so far this season, Cech’s goalkeeping record is unparalleled as of now in the EPL and he remains Chelsea’s No. 1. This season, Cech has played in eleven matches with 31 saves and 3 clean sheets.

Hugo Lloris, with his unique style of goalkeeping, has just gotten better and better with time as Tottenham Hotspur’s first choice keeper. Initial apprehension regarding him being an ideal replacement for Brad Friedel has been quashed majestically through the strengths of his performance. Lloris maintains a rather high line, which some would say is rather bold but his outstanding reflexes and intuition make him an indispensable part of Tottenham’s game play. Lloris, this season, has played in ten matches with 26 saves and 7 clean sheets.

Asmir Begovic, some say, is the only reason that Stoke City has not been relegated from the top flight of English Football and that says something about the ability of the Bosnian. Add to the fact that he’s scored a goal from his own penalty box (to Southampton’s misery), he has the potential to become, what we call in Cricket, the proverbial all-rounder. Just kidding! This season Begovic has played in eleven matches with 36 saves and 3 clean sheets.

Simon Mignolet arrived at Anfield from Sunderland this season with a job to do, and he has done that job very well indeed. Opening his career for Liverpool in the English Premier League with a penalty save in the dying minutes of the game against Stoke City, Mignolet has definitely made a mark and could very well be Liverpool’s best signing this summer. This season Mignolet has played in eleven matches with 39 saves and 4 clean sheets.

Now choosing the best amongst the ones mentioned above is exceedingly difficult simply because there aren’t enough metrics to facilitate an easy choice. Thus, relying on pure statistics is not an option here. However, going by past records and performance over time, one man is a head and shoulders above the rest in terms of consistency and dependency, two key aspects that make a great keeper. That man is Petr Cech.

Why, you ask?

Well, his awesome stature, dedication to the game (especially after coming back from a horrendous injury), shot-stopping ability, experience, vision and even statistics make him a force to reckon with and the best keeper in the English Premier League as of now.

(Funnily enough, EA Sports in their recent edition of FIFA also agree with my opinion and this is reflected in the player statistics attributed to Cech which are higher than any other goalkeeper in the game. Win!)