cover photo from Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
It’s fairly well known by this point that English Premier League is filled with great goalkeepers, including the likes of de Gea, Ederson, Alisson, Cech, Kepa, and Pickford. However there are only so many headlines to go around, meaning a number of goalkeepers are left out in the cold when it comes to coverage. Some don’t deserve much more attention but here are three who are not only proving why the EPL is the best goalkeeping league in the world but why they deserve a little more face time.
Rui Patricio
Photo from 90min.com
Patricio would likely be getting a little more press if it weren’t for Alisson and Kepa’s transfer fees that dwarfed the news of Patricio’s arrival with Wolverton. Surprisingly enough, the lack of coverage isn’t from an uncompelling storyline. For starters, Patricio had a strong World Cup run this summer, reaching the round of 16 before being knocked out by Uruguay. It was a nice change of pace for Patricio, who at the time had recently requested his contract to be terminated with Portuguese club side Sporting CP in the midst of a truly bizarre set of altercations, included fans attacking Sporting players and staff.
Early into the season, the Portuguese international has successfully led Wolves to the top half of the table. Through eight starts, seven matches have been determined by one goal or less, yet Wolves have picked up at least a point in each of those seven. Saves on long-range strikes against Raheem Sterling and free kick denials on Fred are exactly why recently promoted Wolverton will avoid an expected relegation battle.
Alex McCarthy
It’s not an easy life being the goalkeeper for one of the worst defenses in the league but McCarthy is doing what he can for a club that was one of the front runners to see relegation at the start of the season. McCarthy possesses a lightness and mobility not found in most Premier League goalkeepers, which pairs well with his scrappy approach to the position. Unfortunately, it hasn’t mattered too much as Southampton are conceding multiple 1v1s and shots within the 18 every weekend. Despite a recent strong performance against Wolves, it was another familiar defeat for Southampton.
McCarthy could admittedly use some work on his 1v1 situations as his current approach hasn’t yielded much success this season. So far he’s managed to hold off Angus Gunn, the Manchester City product who arrived at Southampton on a £10 million transfer fee, but after conceding eight goals in the last three games, McCarthy might have to remind the manager why he deserves the number one spot.
Lukasz Fabianski
A 33-year-old goalkeeper is never a sexy pick but the Polish international - who is still playing for his country as of last weekend - has rebounded from four straight losses with strong performances against Everton, Chelsea, and Manchester United. He’s allowed three goals in the last four Premier League games, including a shutout with some key saves against Chelsea.
Fabianski is a no-nonsense goalkeeper who is willing to fight in the trenches to make a save. Perhaps he’s not the most agile goalkeeper but he more than makes up for it with his determination to keep the ball out of the net. It’s unclear how many years Fabianski has left in him but as of right now, he’s keeping stride with the best the league has to offer.