When a goalkeeper prevents his/her opponent from scoring a goal during an entire match, the goalkeeper is said to have kept a clean sheet. And on this, lies the assessment of a goalkeeper.
Since
the Premier League's formation at the start of the 1992–93 season, only
few goalkeepers have managed to keep 100 or more clean sheets in the
Premier League.
During the 1997–98 season, Peter Schmeichel became the first player to keep 100 Premier League clean sheets.
Petr Čech,
while playing for Chelsea in the 2004–05 season, holds the record for
most clean sheets kept in a single season, with 24. The record for
consecutive clean sheets was also set by Čech, who became the first
goalkeeper to keep ten consecutive clean sheets; Edwin van der Sar later eclipsed this when he went 14 games without conceding in 2008–09 for Manchester United.
The first goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League were Tim Flowers and Erik Thorstvedt
on the opening day of the inaugural season in a 0–0 draw between
Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur; all other goalkeepers conceded that
day.
Each year the goalkeeper who has
kept the cleanest sheets during the Premier League campaign is awarded
the Premier League Golden Glove award. First presented in 2004–05, five
goalkeepers have won the award, with Joe Hart holding the record for
most wins at four.
Petr Čech became the keeper with the highest number of clean sheets while playing against AFC Bournemouth on 28 December 2015.
Who are the top 5 worst goalkeepers in English Premiership history?
1. Kostas Chalkias
Having
played 32 times for Greece, Kostas Chalkias joined Portsmouth in 2005, a
year after he had won a European Championship as Greece’s first choice
goalkeeper; it seemed like an excellent signing. He played only six
games for Pompey before the club’s staff decided that they’d seen
enough.
In
his debut against bitter rivals Southampton, Chalkias flapped at
everything that came his way, as Portsmouth lost 2-1. In his next five
games, Chalkias not only showed himself to be a terrible goalkeeper but
also barking mad. He conceded an own goal against Arsenal, and when his
teammate did likewise, Chalkias hit him. He was dropped for Jamies
Ashdown after his comical errors and displays of aggression, before
moving to Spain and eventually returning to Greece.
2. Andy Dibble
Famously
allowing Nottingham Forest’s Gary Crosby to head the ball out of his
hands and into the goal, is the Welshman’s most unforgettable
performance. Andy Dibble spent nine years at Manchester City, where he
played around 150 games, serving as a backup to first-choice ‘keeper
Tony Coton. Despite seeing limited game time, Dibble still managed to
show just why he wasn’t the first choice at any of the decent clubs he
ever played for, He was given a second chance in the Premier League by
Middlesbrough, in the two games he played, Boro conceded 11 goals. That
was it for Dibble’s Premier League career. He headed to Altrincham and
Barry Town, showing the extent of his decline, although he did play
three times for Wales over his 24-year career which ended in 2006.
3. Tony Warner
Between 1999 and 2004, Tony
Warner played 200 games for Millwall where he looked promising enough to
be a very good goalkeeper. His Premier League move came in 2007 when he
joined Fulham. He played seven games in two years at Craven Cottage,
and Fulham fans will feel that was seven games too many. Warner looked
wobbly at best and dropped two absolute howlers against Bolton and
Middlesbrough respectively.
He remained
in the Premier League when signed by Hull City, where he was the third
choice, playing only once in the League Cup and almost gifting a goal to
his former club Millwall. Twice-capped by Trinidad and Tobago, Warner
didn’t even do enough to convince the country that he should be picked
for their 2006 World Cup campaign. It was also Warner who clashed with
15th placed Peter Enckleman to end his career.
4. Massimo Taibi
Massimo
Taibi is probably the most famous terrible goalkeeper in Premier League
history. And this is because as a goalkeeper, playing for one of the
biggest clubs in the world puts your mistakes under the microscope;
especially when your mistakes normally lead to conceding a goal. Taibi
arrived at Old trafford from Venezia with the tough task of replacing
Peter Schmeichel. He won the man of the match award on his debut, but
never looked comfortable. After a horrific mistake against Southampton
and conceding five against Chelsea, Fergie had seen enough, and the
‘Blind Venetian’ was sent packing.
5. Lionel Perez
The French goalkeeper, Lionel
Perez, is another one in the list of English Premier league-worst
goalkeepers of all time. The shortage of clubs interested in acquiring
his services once he departed the Premier League spoke volumes. The
Frenchman joined Sunderland in 1996 and had trouble communicating with
his players. The club was eventually relegated after a pitiful season
with Perez in goal. He moved to bitter rivals Newcastle, where he failed
to make a single appearance, and after leaving the Magpies he dropped
right down the football league, joining Cambridge United. Perez later
played for Enfield and Stevenage Borough, which were perhaps closer to
his level.
