It’s a golden age for goalkeepers, of that there is no doubt. Any number of shotstoppers around the world can lay claim to being the best in the business, including Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Thibaut Courtois, to name four. There are, of course, countless others vying for the mantel, the latest of whom once more is Manchester United star David De Gea after his stunning goalkeeping display in their smash and grab 3-1 win over Arsenal.
The Gunners peppered the United goal over the 90 minutes, but they were met by a steadfast De Gea between the sticks. All in the all, the Spain international made 14 saves, a Premier League record-equalling return in a single match. 26.9% of the total saves he has made in the England’s top tier this term came on Saturday. It further reinforced his reputation as football’s best goalkeeper and while Neuer and Buffon are the stand out favourites to some, the United star has as good a case as any for the accolade.
To this day, United must be unequivocally thankful that a dodgy fax machine saw his deadline day switch to Real Madrid fall through in 2015. In the two-and-a-half years since, De Gea has taken his game to the next level. He has played every Premier League minute this season for a United side that has shipped fewer goals (9) than any other top-flight team. What’s more, he has kept more clean sheets (9) than any goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues this term.
Yet, there is more to De Gea’s game than just shotstopping. For any goalkeeper, the first port of goal is denying opponents, but in the continued evolution of football, a goalkeeper has similar responsibilities to a defender in a dominating side. In this instance, the former Atletico man excels. A return of 8.4 accurate long balls per game is one of the better returns in the Premier League, as is a 55.8% pass success rate compared to fellow shotstoppers. He’s an extremely competent performer with his feet, both in and out of possession, with the latter quality exhibited in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool to deny Joel Matip.
United may not swarm teams in a similar fashion to rivals Manchester City, yet a possession return of 52.2% this season shows they still look to hurt opponents by restricting the ball, particularly at Old Trafford. However, what’s key is that De Gea is a world class performer both when United are on top of opponents or up against the ropes. Concentration is a key trait for any goalkeeper, but maintaining this mental strength for 90 minutes is vital.
Whether Jose Mourinho’s side are under incredible pressure or an opposing side has just one chance in a match, you can be sure that De Gea is on hand to deny the opportunity. Indeed, De Gea has made 11.2 expected goal saves in the Premier League this season, more than any other goalkeeper, while a save success rate of 82.8% is the second best in England’s top tier. On top of that, no top-flight goalkeeper has saved more clear-cut goalscoring chances than De Gea (11) this term.
Without his exploits between the sticks, United would much further behind Premier League leaders and rivals Manchester City. Yet, at the time of writing, United sit just eight points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s side coming into Sunday’s key Manchester Derby. With Paul Pogba suspended, City are expected to exert their dominance at Old Trafford, even with home advantage. With De Gea between the sticks, and United shipping just once on home turf this season, they still have high hopes of a positive result this weekend.
Of course, the debate over football’s best goalkeeper will continue to rumble on, but to suggest De Gea is top of the pile isn’t at all too farfetched. His showing at the Emirates Stadium further enhanced his already impressive reputation and did little to discourage those who already believe the United star to be football’s best goalkeeper at present. On current form, you’d be hard-pressed to find better than De Gea.
