Best and worst goalkeepers in English premiership history

Football

During the 1997–98 season, Peter Schmeichel became the first player to keep 100 Premier League clean sheets.

When a goalkeeper prevents his/her opponent from scoring a goal during an entire match, the goalkeeper is said to have kept a clean sheet. And on this, lies the assessment of a goalkeeper.

Since the Premier League's formation at the start of the 1992–93 season, only few goalkeepers have managed to keep 100 or more clean sheets in the Premier League.

During the 1997–98 season, Peter Schmeichel became the first player to keep 100 Premier League clean sheets.

Petr Čech, while playing for Chelsea in the 2004–05 season, holds the record for most clean sheets kept in a single season, with 24. The record for consecutive clean sheets was also set by Čech, who became the first goalkeeper to keep ten consecutive clean sheets; Edwin van der Sar later eclipsed this when he went 14 games without conceding in 2008–09 for Manchester United.

Peter Chech 

The first goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League were Tim Flowers and Erik Thorstvedt on the opening day of the inaugural season in a 0–0 draw between Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur; all other goalkeepers conceded that day.

Each year the goalkeeper who has kept the cleanest sheets during the Premier League campaign is awarded the Premier League Golden Glove award. First presented in 2004–05, five goalkeepers have won the award, with Joe Hart holding the record for most wins at four.

Petr Čech became the keeper with the highest number of clean sheets while playing against AFC Bournemouth on 28 December 2015.

Who are the top 5 worst goalkeepers in English Premiership history?

1. Kostas Chalkias

Having played 32 times for Greece, Kostas Chalkias joined Portsmouth in 2005, a year after he had won a European Championship as Greece’s first choice goalkeeper; it seemed like an excellent signing. He played only six games for Pompey before the club’s staff decided that they’d seen enough.

Kotas Chaklas

In his debut against bitter rivals Southampton, Chalkias flapped at everything that came his way, as Portsmouth lost 2-1. In his next five games, Chalkias not only showed himself to be a terrible goalkeeper but also barking mad. He conceded an own goal against Arsenal, and when his teammate did likewise, Chalkias hit him. He was dropped for Jamies Ashdown after his comical errors and displays of aggression, before moving to Spain and eventually returning to Greece.

2. Andy Dibble

Famously allowing Nottingham Forest’s Gary Crosby to head the ball out of his hands and into the goal, is the Welshman’s most unforgettable performance. Andy Dibble spent nine years at Manchester City, where he played around 150 games, serving as a backup to first-choice ‘keeper Tony Coton. Despite seeing limited game time, Dibble still managed to show just why he wasn’t the first choice at any of the decent clubs he ever played for, He was given a second chance in the Premier League by Middlesbrough, in the two games he played, Boro conceded 11 goals. That was it for Dibble’s Premier League career. He headed to Altrincham and Barry Town, showing the extent of his decline, although he did play three times for Wales over his 24-year career which ended in 2006.

3. Tony Warner

Tony Waner

Between 1999 and 2004, Tony Warner played 200 games for Millwall where he looked promising enough to be a very good goalkeeper. His Premier League move came in 2007 when he joined Fulham. He played seven games in two years at Craven Cottage, and Fulham fans will feel that was seven games too many. Warner looked wobbly at best and dropped two absolute howlers against Bolton and Middlesbrough respectively.

He remained in the Premier League when signed by Hull City, where he was the third choice, playing only once in the League Cup and almost gifting a goal to his former club Millwall. Twice-capped by Trinidad and Tobago, Warner didn’t even do enough to convince the country that he should be picked for their 2006 World Cup campaign. It was also Warner who clashed with 15th placed Peter Enckleman to end his career.

4. Massimo Taibi

Massimo Taibi is probably the most famous terrible goalkeeper in Premier League history. And this is because as a goalkeeper, playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world puts your mistakes under the microscope; especially when your mistakes normally lead to conceding a goal. Taibi arrived at Old trafford from Venezia with the tough task of replacing Peter Schmeichel. He won the man of the match award on his debut, but never looked comfortable. After a horrific mistake against Southampton and conceding five against Chelsea, Fergie had seen enough, and the ‘Blind Venetian’ was sent packing.

5. Lionel Perez

Lionel Perez

The French goalkeeper, Lionel Perez, is another one in the list of English Premier league-worst goalkeepers of all time. The shortage of clubs interested in acquiring his services once he departed the Premier League spoke volumes. The Frenchman joined Sunderland in 1996 and had trouble communicating with his players. The club was eventually relegated after a pitiful season with Perez in goal. He moved to bitter rivals Newcastle, where he failed to make a single appearance, and after leaving the Magpies he dropped right down the football league, joining Cambridge United. Perez later played for Enfield and Stevenage Borough, which were perhaps closer to his level.