Kinsky not bottom of Premier League back-up goalkeeper ranking with Mamardashvili high | OneFootball

Having a viable replacement for your first-choice goalkeeper, should they get injured, suspended, or experience a sharp decline, has become crucial for top teams.

Some are permanent benchwarmers, like Jason Steele. Some are called upon more than expected, like Giorgi Mamardashvili. And some have lost the No.1 shirt, like Lucas Perri.

In a difficult week for the Goalkeepers’ Union, after Antonin Kinsky’s nightmare in Madrid, we have decided to rank every Premier League No.2 from worst to best.

20) Mark Travers (Everton)

It had to be someone. There probably isn’t a bigger drop-off between first (Jordan Pickford) and second-choice goalkeepers in the Premier League.

19) Max Weiss (Burnley)

An unused substitute in every one of Burnley’s Premier League matches, we have only seen Weiss play in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, which both ended with the Clarets losing 2-1 at home to a League One side.

18) Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace)

Benitez was monstrous against Arsenal in Crystal Palace’s Carabao Cup defeat earlier this season, but that was not the norm for the former PSV shot-stopper.

17) Christos Mandas (Bournemouth)

Poor Fraser Forster. Mandas’ most recent league appearance came for Lazio against Lecce in May 2025. He is the goalkeeper we know the least about, which unfortunately leaves him in quite a low position here.

16) Benjamin Lecomte (Fulham)

We could see Lecomte given a chance in the Premier League, with Bernd Leno looking out of sorts. He is an experienced option – not spectacular but far from useless.

15) Antonin Kinsky (Tottenham Hotspur)

To say Kinsky’s stock has dropped would be the understatement of the century. We cannot see him recovering from his substitution against Atletico Madrid. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for the guy. We hope he is not another Loris Karius.

If that fateful night against Atletico never happened, he’d probably be in the top 10. Guglielmo Vicario being dropped had been coming for a while, but it was evidently not the occasion to make that call, and instead of owning it, Igor Tudor killed Kinsky’s Spurs career alongside his own.

14) Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Steele dislodged Robert Sanchez in 2022/23, and then shared the gloves with Bart Verbruggen in 2023/24, but he has barely featured since the start of 2024/25, sitting on the bench in 100 per cent of Brighton’s Premier League fixtures this campaign.

13) Altay Bayindir (Manchester United)

United back-up Bayindir is pretty error-prone and a liability at set pieces.

12) Hakon Valdimarsson (Brentford)

Valdimarsson is a promising young goalkeeper, but he’s far off displacing Caoimhin Kelleher.

11) Melker Ellborg (Sunderland)

Ellborg joined in January because Robin Roefs could leave for big money in the summer. He’s done okay since coming in for the injured Dutchman, but could have been sent off against Port Vale in the FA Cup.

10) Alphonse Areola (West Ham United)

Areola couldn’t keep a clean sheet in 20 Premier League appearances before being dropped for Mads Hermansen, who was dropped for Areola back in September after a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham, which, on reflection, was most certainly a droppable offence.

9) Sam Johnstone (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Johnstone had a run in the Wolves team for 11 Premier League games but kept zero clean sheets and lost nine times. Since Jose Sa returned to the starting XI, Rob Edwards’ side have won for the first, second, and third time in the top flight this term, and kept four clean sheets.

8) Lucas Perri (Leeds United)

Being dropped for Karl Darlow in big 2025 going into even bigger 2026 is not ideal. No disrespect, Karl…

7) Marco Bizot (Aston Villa)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Marco. Bizot.

6) Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal)

Kepa has the chance to make himself a hero in this month’s Carabao Cup final, his favourite fixture.

He is an excellent option should David Raya get injured or suspended, but it would still be a significant drop-off in every aspect. Distribution, shot-stopping, claiming crosses – Raya is one of the best in the business.

5) Stefan Ortega (Nottingham Forest)

Ortega has made his name as an excellent back-up goalkeeper during his time in the Premier League. Forest getting him for a measly £500,000 was a no-brainer in January. He could easily dislodge Matz Sels. But like John Victor, Ortega is currently out injured, so Angus Gunn is technically Forest’s second-choice ‘keeper right now.

4) Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)

Chelsea not having a decent goalkeeper after all of this time and spending is a joke. We have put Sanchez here, but after Filip Jorgensen fluffed another one of his many chances against PSG in the Champions League, we fully expect to see Sanchez back in goal for Sunday’s Premier League match against Newcastle.

3) Nick Pope (Newcastle United)

We can confidently say Pope is now Eddie Howe’s second choice behind Aaron Ramsdale. That could easily change, maybe by the time the international break comes around, possibly by the end of the season.

Pope’s biggest weakness is his distribution; he looks exactly how a 6’6″ goalkeeper should with the ball at his feet. That is the biggest advantage to playing Ramsdale instead. In terms of shot-stopping, Pope is superior, but in this day and age, being able to kick the ball takes precedence over keeping it out of the goal.

2) James Trafford (Manchester City)

In a completely different way to Kinsky, you have to feel sorry for Trafford. He was blindsided by City’s signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma, but you really can’t blame Pep Guardiola for completing that transfer – the Italian is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

Trafford could leave City as soon as this summer and would be a great option for long-time admirers Newcastle if they opt against making Ramsdale’s move from Southampton permanent for £20-25 million. If Trafford is available for a similar fee, it would make more sense to finally make that signing.