Greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history – saves & clean sheet records

The Premier League is home to some of the best goalkeepers in world football. 

Brazilians Ederson and Alisson have been battling it out for the Golden Glove in recent seasons, but it was David de Gea who picked up the award in 2022/23, keeping 17 clean sheets in his final season as a Manchester United player.

• IN FULL: The 2022/23 Premier League Golden Glove final standings

But when it comes to saves, as well as clean sheets, how do some of the modern goalkeepers rank to the legendary names of the past?

With the help of Opta, we dived into the archives to establish a definitive list of top 10s. Read on to find out who has the recorded the most saves and clean sheets in Premier League history, the most within a single season – and even the most within a single game (saves only).

Best Premier League goalkeepers ranked by saves:

Most saves since Premier League records began

Since Opta started recording data at the beginning of the 2006/07 season, four goalkeepers have made 1,000 or more saves in the competition. Petr Cech was the first to reach the landmark back in September 2018, when his six saves (and a clean sheet) helped Arsenal to a 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates. Since then, Ben Foster, who is now plying his trade in League Two with Wrexham, David De Gea, who has just left the Premier League after 12 years at Manchester United, and Lukasz Fabianski, who is still in the division with West Ham, have all joined him.

Most saves in a single Premier League season

Rob Green is the only goalkeeper in Premier League history to make 160+ saves in multiple seasons, making 161 for West Ham in 2010/11, where he kept five clean sheets and conceded 69 goals and in 2004/05, where he made 178 saves, kept six clean sheets and conceded 75 goals for Norwich. Reading’s Marcus Hahnemann remains the only goalkeeper to make 160+ saves in a Premier League campaign and concede fewer than 50 goals when he kept 13 clean sheets, conceded 45 goals and made 165 saves in his 38 appearances in 2011/12. 

Most saves in a Premier League game

Tim Krul’s performance against Tottenham in 2013 will go down as one of the all-time great displays from a goalkeeper in the Premier League. Not only did the Dutchman make 14 saves, a Premier League record in a single game, he also kept a clean sheet, as Newcastle came away from White Hart Lane with all three points in a 1-0 win thanks to Loic Remy’s 13th minute strike and Tim Krul’s heroics.

Infact, Edwin van der Sar (vs Arsenal in 2003) is the only other goalkeeper to make 12+ saves in a Premier League match since 2003/04 and keep a clean sheet.

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Best Premier League goalkeepers ranked by clean sheets:

Most clean sheets since Premier League records began

As well as being the first goalkeeper to make 1,000 saves since Premier League records began, Petr Cech has also kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the competition’s history. The Czech shot-stopper is the only keeper to reach the 200 milestone, keeping 202 clean sheets in 443 appearances across spells with Chelsea and Arsenal.

Most clean sheets in a single Premier League season

The 2004/05 was a record breaking season for Chelsea and Petr Cech and one that may never be repeated. The Blues conceded just 15 goals in their 38 league matches, with Cech conceding just 13 times and keeping 24 clean sheets in his 35 matches as Chelsea won the Premier League for the first time in their history.

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