Strikers have always been under the spotlight, but the modern goalkeepers have started to steal the show in recent years.
Aware of the importance of the position, the Premier League introduced the Golden Glove award presented to the best keeper in 2004/05.
So far, nine different shot-stoppers have claimed the award, with Manchester City’s Ederson Moraes receiving the accolade in the last two seasons.
With bookmakers including DraftKings Sportsbook backing Manchester City to win the Premier League again this season, is Ederson going to become the third keeper to win three successive Golden Glove awards? Or are we going to have the tenth winner?
Let’s take a look at the three likeliest candidates to win the prize in 2021/22.
Liverpool’s decision to splash out at the time a world-record fee of £66.8m to purchase Alisson Becker from Roma in summer 2018 paid off immediately.
The Brazilian shot-stopper claimed the Golden Glove award in his maiden Premier League season in 2018/19 with 21 clean sheets to his name.
Despite Liverpool’s topsy-turvy 2020/21 campaign, the 28-year-old keeper had a decent season, conceding an average of 0.96 goals per Premier League match.
In addition to his consistent performances between the sticks, Alisson played a pivotal role in helping his side reach the top-four finish with his stoppage-time heroics against West Brom on Matchday 36.
Liverpool’s backline has been handed two massive boosts this summer.
Virgil Van Dijk regained full witness while prosperous French defender IbrahimaKonate arrived from RB Leipzig.
So Alisson should have solid chances of winning the Golden Glove.
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s series of blunders throughout the entire 2019/20 season forced Chelsea to return to the market for a new goalkeeper last summer.
And Edouard Mendy’s £22m arrival from Rennes in September 2020 has immediately started to pay dividends.
The 29-year-old went from strength to strength in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Mendy was an absolute hit in 2020/21, preserving a blank sheet in over 50% of his Premier League outings, as well as the 2021 Champions League final.
Despite earning high acclaim for his top-class performances, the Senegalese star fell three clean sheets short of Ederson’s tally of 19.
However, Chelsea’s notable defensive improvement under Thomas Tuchel means Mendy is a genuine candidate to win the Premier League Golden Glove next season.
EdersonMoraes has evolved into one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League from the moment he swapped Porto for Manchester City in 2017.
City’s £35m acquisition has kept over 15 clean sheets in each of his four seasons in England’s top-flight, including 20 in the 2018/19 campaign.
Although it was not enough to win the Golden Glove that time, the 28-year-old Brazilian has gone on to claim the flattering award in the subsequent two seasons.
Ederson now faces the prospect of becoming the third goalkeeper after Pepe Reina and Joe Hart to win the Golden Glove three years in a row.
John Stones and Ruben Dias formed a formidable centre-back partnership in front of Ederson’s goal last season, which led to 19 league clean sheets.
Since the duo’s on-field understanding can only grow as the season progresses, so the ex-Benfica keeper should be safe and sound next term.
The Premier League run-in, the backend of the title race for Manchester City sees them…
Everton is having a bad season so far, from their poor form in the league…
Communication is the heartbeat of any successful soccer team. On the field, amidst the flurry…
In the annals of football history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as…
Are you new to the world of football betting and would you like to take…
If you are into sports betting, staying ahead of the game is crucial. One way…