A goalkeeper’s peak usually starts when they’re 27, meaning any time before this, a goalkeeper is still developing and learning. Because of this, the most elite clubs usually look to get younger goalkeepers to bolster their squad for the future, whereas smaller clubs will look to find a goalkeeper with the highest potential to be their first-choice goalkeeper. This means that more and more clubs are focusing more on their recruitment on goalkeepers.
This data analysis will use statistics to find the best goalkeepers yet to reach their ‘peak’, so those under the age of 27. We will use data from all of these goalkeepers from the current season to identify the best young goalkeepers to keep an eye on. Because we are still relatively early on in the season, we will include goalkeepers who have played at least 500 minutes of league football. We will look at different areas of goalkeeping and then select the best three overall performers.
The best shot-stoppers
In terms of shot-stopping abilities, it’s important to take into consideration the level of the club that said goalkeeper plays for. This is because keepers with a weaker defence will likely have worse stats, whereas keepers who are more protected will have a better chance of not conceding.
This first graph will look at the strength of each goalkeepers defence, through the number of shots they face per 90. And also how often the goalkeeper saves these shots, through save percentage.
Instantly, we can see that there are three players that stand out. The best of them is Real Sociedad’s Álex Remiro. He and his team boast one of the best defensive records within the top five leagues this season. The Spanish team only face 2.03 shots per 90 because of their terrific defence, however, Remiro still saves 80.77% of these shots.
Next best in terms of save percentage is Gianluigi Donnarumma. The AC Milan keeper, still only 21-years-old, has had an impressive start to the 2020/21 season. He’s faced more shots on target per 90 than Remiro with 3.1 and only has a slightly worse save percentage with 80%.
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