MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Fred of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford on August 10, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)
Goalkeepers are an essential part of any successful team, increasingly so as football moves into a new era where they have to be more complete players.
They may not receive the same level of admiration as goalscorers but there have been plenty of iconic shot-stoppers in the game over the years. In recent years, goalkeepers are being recognized more for what they bring to the table and the Premier League usually hands the best goalkeeper the Golden Glove award at the end of the season.
In the 2018-19 campaign, Alisson claimed the Golden Glove award after keeping 21 clean sheets. The goalkeeper shut out Wolves in his side’s 2-0 win on the final day to win the award. He earned the award outright after Ederson, who was also on 20 clean sheets going into the last match. However, he conceded in City’s 4-1 win against Brighton.
Fast forward to December 2019, many goalkeepers are fighting it out for the same trophy and there seems to be a closer race this time around.
Here are the top 3 contenders for the Golden Glove this season so far in the Premier League.
Kasper Schmeichel
With 7 clean sheets in 16 matches, the Foxes goalkeeper seems to be the favourite to win the coveted award this season. His goalkeeping has been top-class all season. In fact, he has been one of the main reasons behind Leicester City’s rampant surge in the league table.
His cause has been aided by the solid centre-back pairing of Soyunvu and Evans but he has pulled off some stunning saves this season. If his form between the sticks continues, Leicester would get closer to challenging Liverpool for the title.
It doesn’t seem likely that Alisson will win successive Golden Gloves after a poor start to the campaign. The Brazilian No. 1 is currently struggling with just a solitary clean sheet this season.
Vicente Guaita
Crystal Palace shot-stopper Guaita has been quietly emerging as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. The Spaniard has accumulated 6 clean sheets in 16 league games so far, which includes a penalty save. Summer recruit Gary Cahill has been colossal at the back as well, thus helping the underrated player.
He has helped Palace climb to 9th in the table, despite scoring as few as 14 goals. The 18 goals let in by Palace is the fifth-lowest in the league.
Dean Henderson
Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been in phenomenal form and was even nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award in October.
On loan from Manchester United, Henderson is currently in his second spell with the Blades after helping them gain promotion last season. He kept 21 clean sheets that season and already has five this time around.
He’s proven to be a top shot-stopper and has bounced back numerous times from errors. He has already won United points this season, with his performance at Watford in particular.
If his rich vein of form continues, Sheffield will be confident of securing a top-half finish in their first season back in the English top tier.