The goalkeeping position is one that has eluded analysts since the numbers revolution began. While strikers find the most concentration and admiration from analysts, how does one consider the abilities of a goalkeeper in ways that are more accurate than simple clean sheet or save statistics? To build off that, how can a goalkeeper comparison be established in a way that can be communicated effectively?
Breaking down the data into two simple categories, saves per goal and saves per match, is a possible route. With these, not only a goalkeeper’s abilities but also a defence’s abilities can be evaluated.
In this study, 142 goalkeepers were analysed and put into a comparison covering Europe. In total, 8,298 saves and 3,571 goals are looked at. England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1, Spain’s La Liga, and Russia’s Premier League are represented.
All goalkeepers have a minimum of five matches played to qualify for this, but Russian Premier League goalkeepers have an altered minimum of 400 minutes played due to the winter break. Without further ado, the analysis.
Interpreting the data
With six leagues worth of goalkeepers analysed, a clean average is established. An average defence forces their goalkeeper into roughly three saves per match. An average goalkeeper saves roughly 2.5 shots before conceding.
So how is the data interpreted? In quadrant I (top right), goalkeepers who are forced into more than 3.0 saves per match but also average more than 2.5 saves per goal conceded can be considered above average goalkeepers dealing with mediocre defences.
It is important to consider that goalkeepers are responsible for a reasonable degree of communication guiding the defenders, which is why different goalkeepers representing the same club see a higher degree of saves per match variety than one might expect. Goalkeepers such as David De Gea and Neto feature in this zone.
