Revealed: Analysing the best keepers in Europe this season

There’s been a lot of talk of goalkeepers in the press this week, mostly focussed on the woes of Claudio Bravo after another game to forget for the Manchester City, but which deserve praise for their exploits this season?

Using save success as a starting point to herald nine of the top performing shot stoppers this season, WhoScored.com look closer into the stats of this season’s best number ones.

The following is a study that looks into the volume of saves made whilst maintaining a high success rate and the proportion of those saves made from shots inside the box. We also look at goals conceded per game as well as a clean sheet value figure.

The latter statistic has been calculated to give greater insight into basic clean sheet figures. For example, if a keeper keeps a clean sheet without having to make a single save, that is far less impressive than a shut out in which one is called into action on numerous occasions. The figure in the following charts, then, is the number of saves made in matches that each player kept a clean sheet.

There is not a single Premier League representative in the top nine for save success of keepers to make at least 15 appearances this season, with the Bundesliga accounting for four, Serie A two, Ligue 1 two and La Liga with one. It is, in fact, Villarreal’s Sergio Asenjo that leads the way in terms of save success, keeping out 56 of the 68 shots on target that he has faced this season (82.4%).

Only three other keepers boast a figure in excess of 80% (4 of every 5 shots on target faced); Saint Etienne’s Stephane Ruffier (80.8%), Roma’s Wojciech Szczesny (80.7%) and Nice’s Yoan Cardinale (80.5%). Elsewhere the most notable inclusions are Manuel Neuer (78.6%) and wunderkid Gianluigi Donnarumma (76.1%).

The following chart is valued as follows; saves per game = 1.5 to 4.0, conceded per game = 1.4 to 0.4, in-box percentage = 30% to 80% and clean sheet value = 10 to 30. For context, the average number of saves per game of all keepers with 15+ apps is 2.93, goals conceded per game is 1.33, in-box percentage is 59.7% and clean sheet value equals 13.9. For comparison the chart and shaded area below then, is the average of all keepers to make 15 or more league appearances this season.

The biggest contrast to that average of the nine players analysed here is unsurprisingly Manuel Neuer, with the threat posed to Bayern far from the norm. The German therefore understandably is well below the average for both saves per game and the proportion of those saves from efforts in the box as opponents are invariably restricted to pot shots. He concedes the fewest goals per game as a result here (0.56), and while he’s kept 8 clean sheets, Neuer has only been forced into 14 saves across those games.

The closest to the average figures is clearly Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann, who has played his part in what is now the only remaining unbeaten record in Europe’s top 5 leagues. The experienced Bundesliga keeper has produced an impressive 3.69 saves per game, made all the more impressive by the fact that that almost 70% of said saves have come from shots inside the box - the highest here. He’s conceded 1.06 goals per game though, while of the 14 saves he’s made in 5 clean sheet attaining performances, a remarkable 9 came in a man of the match display against Wolfsburg.

Elsewhere in Germany’s top-flight Frankfurt’s Lukas Hradecky has profited from being shielded by the league’s second best defence, forced into just 2.31 saves per game having conceded an average of 0.75. Meanwhile Augsburg’s Marwin Hitz hasn’t been able to rely on that luxury, making his near identical save success rate (77.2%) to Hradecky’s (77.1%) arguably more impressive having produced the most saves per game (3.81) in this study by comparison.

Save success leader Asenjo boasts that accolade despite producing more saves per game than the average keeper to make 15+ appearances (3.11), and his figures are in fact above the average across the board, most notably in terms of goals conceded per game, with just 0.67.

Then come two youngsters, with 22-year old Yoan Cardinale helping Nice to an unlikely title charge. Lucien Favre’s men boast the best defensive record in the league, with their first choice keeper playing a key role, averaging 3.26 saves per game and producing 25 of his saves across 8 matches in which he kept a clean sheet. He just misses out on a place in the top three though given that the difficulty of his saves have been lower in general, with just 54.8% coming from shots inside the box.

AC Milan teenager Donnarumma has produced almost ten percent more of his saves from shots within 18 yards (64.2%), and while his save success is lower (76.1%), the Italian is producing a notable 3.53 saves per game. Morever, in the 7 matches in which Donnarumma has kept a clean sheet the youngster has made 27 saves to help his side to 17 points from said games.

Boasting a similar chart here to the 17-year old, Szczesny’s figures are marginally more impressive and will surely be giving Arsene Wenger something to think about as the Poland international enjoys a second season on loan at Roma. Now 26, Szczesny has improved markedly during his time in Italy, keeping 8 clean sheets this season and producing 28 saves in those games. Those stops attribute to an impressive average of 3.55 saves per game, though only 56.3% of those have come from shots inside the box.

The most impressive goalkeeping stats this season, however, arguably belong to Saint Etienne’s Stephane Ruffier who, ahead of Szczesny in second (7.17) and Donnarumma in third (7.08), boasts the best WhoScored.com rating of any keeper (7.34).

He’s garnered the second best save success in Europe, produced the second most saves per game of the top nine here (3.71) and the most in clean sheet attaining appearances (29 in 7). Averaging more saves in matches that he has kept a clean sheet than matches he hasn’t, his role in the third best defensive record in France has been huge.

With just 0.82 goals conceded per game and a notable 65.1% percent of his saves coming from shots inside the box, the volume of his stops and proportion from close in indicate that he hasn’t had the best protection but has bailed out the Sainte defence on numerous occasions. He may not be the big name that top clubs would look to but the stats suggest that Hugo Lloris’ France understudy is an underrated keeper that could add to a host of big teams whose keepers have come up short.

The numbers certainly tell us that despite only recently signing a contract extension, teams would be wise to watch Ruffier, Arsenal should keep hold of Szczesny with Cech turning 35 at the end of the season and Gigi Donnarumma’s potential is seemingly limitless!