Adrian Clarke analyses the leading contenders for the 2020/21 Premier League Golden Glove.
| Player | Clean sheets | Matches to play |
| Ederson | 16 | 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Emiliano Martinez | 14 | 10 |
| Edouard Mendy | 14 | 9 |
Ederson (MCI) 16 clean sheets
Manchester City's improved defensive focus has helped Ederson claim 16 clean sheets in 29 starts this season.
Making 1.7 saves per 90 minutes, and only one on average from shots inside the penalty area, he is the least-busy Premier League goalkeeper, conceding 12 goals.
Nonetheless, Ederson has stepped up to make outstanding contributions at key moments. He is exceptionally quick off his line and one of the best at narrowing the angle for attackers in 1v1 situations.
Despite facing so few efforts, he has saved between four and five extra goals that Pep Guardiola's side would have expected to concede based on the quality of the chance, according to Opta's Expected Goals on Target metric (xGoT).
| PL 2020/21 | Goals con. | xGoT con. | Difference |
| Alphonse Areola | 28 | 34.1 | 6.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Pope | 28 | 33.9 | 5.9 |
| Emiliano Martinez | 27 | 31.8 | 4.8 |
| Ederson | 12 | 16.6 | 4.6 |
| Hugo Lloris | 21 | 24.1 | 3.1 |
By making few costly errors, Ederson's statistical record speaks for itself.
He is also the only Premier League goalkeeper to assist a goal this term, having set up Ilkay Gundogan's second in a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in February.
Ederson's assist v Spurs
🚀 @edersonmoraes93 with the homing missile assist! 🔥
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 13, 2021
⚽️ @Sure
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klUGiM pic.twitter.com/33bYypZq3l
Emiliano Martinez (AVL) 14 clean sheets
Aston Villa's No 1 has enjoyed a magnificent debut season with the club.
He has made 99 saves, more than his fellow Golden Glove contenders Ederson (49) and Edouard Mendy (44) combined.
His save ratios are also among the very best in the competition, with the Argentinian keeping out more than three quarters of shots.
Save comparison
| Player | Save ratio | Saves inside box | Big chance prevention |
| Martinez | 76.6% | 69.7% | 44.0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendy | 73.3% | 61.1% | 31.0% |
| Ederson | 71.0% | 61.7% | 38.0% |
He leads the way with a 69.7 per cent success rate from shots inside the box among goalkeepers to have made at least 10 saves.
When compared to Mendy and Ederson, the 28-year-old has been more of a standout performer.
Martinez saves v Brighton
Edouard Mendy (CHE) 14 clean sheets
Mendy has proven a solid and reliable presence in the start of his career at Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea goalkeeper has kept mistakes to a minimum and maintained a steady supply of clean sheets, but there have been relatively few stunning saves.
He has only repelled 31 per cent of the big chances he has faced, the second-lowest percentage among the league's first-choice 'keepers.
| Mendy | Under Lampard | Under Tuchel |
| Starts | 15 | 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Saves | 28 | 16 |
| Goals con. | 11 | 2 |
| Clean sheets | 7 | 7 |
Mendy's overall save ratio is an impressive 73.3 per cent, a significant improvement on that of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who ended 2019/20 with a record of 53.5 per cent.
The Senegalese has benefited greatly from Thomas Tuchel's tactical tweaks, being forced into only 16 saves in nine outings since the German arrived.
Given there have been seven clean sheets in those nine matches, Mendy appears to have every chance of catching Ederson.
Also in this series
Part 1: Golden Boot: Kane and Salah lead pack with an eye on treble
Part 2: Golden Boot race: How the contenders compare
Part 3: Golden Glove: Ederson under pressure in pursuit of award
Part 5: Playmaker award: Kane targeting rare double
Part 6: Playmaker award: How the contenders compare
