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) Martin Dubravka (Burnley) +2.9
Burnley appear in danger of being cut adrift but things might be worse were it not for their Slovakian stopper. Dubravka has made more saves than any other keeper having faced 17 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.
=2) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) +2.7
Henderson falls from the top of this ranking after conceding three to Manchester City from a PSxG of 1.7. The number is damning but the Palace keeper passed the eye test, especially around Erling Haaland’s brace, and to expect more in the face of Phil Foden’s 20-yarder feels harsh.
=2) Robin Roefs (Sunderland) +2.7
Only Dubravka has made more 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.
=4) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) +2.0
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.
=4) Jordan Pickford (Everton) +2.0
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.
=4) Bart Verbruggen (Brighton) +2.0
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. On Saturday, like Pickford, he conceded two from a PSxG of 1.2 at Anfield.
7) 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.
8) Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur) +1.3
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.
9) Senne Lammens (Manchester United) +1.2
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. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s shot was within reach, but Lammens was caught off balance and forced to push off the wrong foot, reducing the distance he could dive. Back to being solid at Palace and it wasn’t his fault v West Ham.
10) 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.
11) Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) +0.6
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.
12) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City) +0.2
The massive Italian has emerged as City’s undisputed No.1 to the shock of no one and the horror of James Trafford. Donnarumma made a solid start to life in the Premier League but showed for the first time against Bournemouth some vulnerability to crosses. Saved a penalty against Leeds only to see the rebound dispatched. Conceded four goals v Fulham and looked a little lost. Made one excellent save v Sunderland and stopped all fur shots on his goal taken by Palace.
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) Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United) – 0.8
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.
15) Marco Bizot (Aston Villa) +1.1
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.
=16) 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 regain shreds of credibility. Not a coincidence.
=16) Sam Johnstone (Wolves) -1.6
Johnstone has been more reliable than Jose Sa but Sunderland’s opener cut the ex-England keeper in half; Burnley’s first took him by surprise; and he might feel he could have kept out the first of Fulham’s three. Harsh? Probably. At Chelsea, he was powerless to stop any of the Blues’ three second-half goals and it was a similar story in defeats to Palace and Villa. But he was absolutely culpable v Forest and not great against former club Manchester United. Then, at Arsenal, he was just plain unlucky.
=18) 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.
=18) David Raya (Arsenal) -1.7
Raya has barely been tested for much of the season but when Arsenal have needed him, has he done enough? Reports suggest the Gunners might be looking to upgrade.
=20) Alisson (Liverpool) -1.8
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.
=20) Alphonse Areola (West Ham) -1.8
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.
=20) 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) Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford) -2.0
Brentford were widely assumed to have got a bargain in Kelleher, and they probably have, even if he has been keeping the wrong company down here for most of his first season with the Bees.
=23) 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. Conceded eight goals in his last four Premier League games but nobody gives a f*** at Leeds.
25) 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.
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) Djordje Petrovic (Bournemouth) -3.6
He’s no Kepa, is he?
28) Jose Sa (Wolves) -3.9
The feeling remains that Wolves would have sold Sa this 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.
