Top 10 Premier League goalkeepers: Raya and Donnarumma beaten to top spot | OneFootball

David Raya has been talked of as the best goalkeeper in the world – but one Premier League stopper is graded above the Arsenal no.1…

Goalkeepers have been prominent in the title race, with Raya in fine form for Arsenal and Gianluigi Donnarumma settling into English football and showing why Pep Guardiola signed him last summer.

Both are among the top 10 highest-graded goalkeepers. ‘What are these grades?’, you ask…

Gradient’s Player Grades measure execution rather than outcome. The grading process begins with Gradient’s team of analysts evaluating over 2,000 events per game – everything a player does during a match from aerial duels to dribbling to set-piece shooting, and everything in between.

Each event is graded on a scale of -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments; 0 representing expected execution, positive or negative grades are awarded for a performance that is better or worse than expected. Those grades are then translated into an easy to understand 0-100 game and season rating across over 50 grading categories, including an overall performance grade.

So, Sunderland fans, don’t shoot the messenger.

And with that, here are the top 10 goalkeepers in the Premier League this season…

10) Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) – 73.4

Henderson has always been around the top of the clean sheets table – he’s currently fourth as one of two keepers from bottom-half clubs in the top 10 for shut-outs. Largely because the England back-up has the fourth-highest saves percentage.

9) Alisson (Liverpool) – 74.2

It promises to be a summer of change at Anfield and after eight years, might we see a significant shift in the sticks? Alisson’s form has tailed off no worse than any of his team-mates but it is at such times when you need your goalkeeper to be primed, and the Brazilian has been some way below his brilliant best. His repeated fitness concerns haven’t helped – Alisson has missed 15 games so far in all competitions. Time to cash in?

8) Martin Dubravka (Burnley) – 75.9

Dubravka has been in fine form all season after signing for the Clarets to replace James Trafford, which is handy because he’s faced the most shots – by a lot – and the most shots on target. Things would have been a lot worse for Burnley without the Slovakian’s safe hands. And they’re still pretty bloody grim.

7) Giorgi Mamardashvili (Liverpool) – 76.9

Fair play to the big Georgian because he’s certainly played the long game in his quest to become Liverpool’s no.1. He signed for the Reds in 2024 and two years later, only now are we starting to consider the prospect of a changing of the guard in the Anfield goal. Mamardashvili still has some way to go before convincing everyone that he’s up to the responsibility, mind. He has a marginally better saves percentage than Alisson but both are much further down that list than a Liverpool keeper ought to be.

6) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City) – 77.2

The big Italian has done exactly what Pep wanted him to: make big saves and offer a formidable presence. Donnarumma has adapted to the Premier League seamlessly, conceding the joint fewest number of saveable goals, currently tied with Robert Sanchez. Which is making us consider whether we have the Chelsea keeper all wrong… nope. They still need a new one.

5) Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United) – 78

It has taken Ramsdale most of the season but it seems he has finally now taken the no.1 spot that, frankly, neither he nor Nick Pope have really made their own in the opportunities given to them by Eddie Howe. Should Newcastle take up their option to sign the ex-Arsenal stopper permanently this summer? We need to know more about the fee.

4) Jordan Pickford (Everton) – 78.9

England’s undisputed no.1 will probably have to retire before he’s given the credit he’s due. This season, Pickford has the joint-highest number of big time saves, including this match-winner at Newcastle.

3) Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest) – 81.7

Forest seem to have had a couple of a attempts at replacing Sels, signing both John Victor and Stefan Ortega, but the veteran Belgian is still the keeper they rely on in the relegation fight. Perhaps because he has the lowest percentage in the league for mistakes when facing a shot.

2) David Raya (Arsenal) – 86.6

Raya has gone from a supposed weak link to being discussed as perhaps the best in the world. In truth, he’s neither. But he does have the highest percentage of shots saved above expectation and his form is clearly a big factor in whatever it is Arsenal are doing in the title race.

1) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) – 89.9

Martinez probably was the best in the world for a time, and he will probably tell you he still is. Despite some feeling he has slipped from his peak, the World Cup winner has still made the joint-highest number of big time saves; the second-highest number of crosses caught; and the highest passing grade, which is pretty much all you can ask of any keeper: save it, catch it, pass it.