The Excitement returns as the new Premier League season begins on the 13th of August 2016. Newly promoted club Hull City will host the defending champions Leicester City in the opening match of the Premier League 2016/17 season. The English League consists of some of the most talented goalkeepers in the World and that has certainly made the games a lot more interesting to watch.
Arsenal Goalkeeper Peter Cech won the Golden Glove in the 2015/16 campaign, keeping a total of 16 clean sheets in his first season with the Gunners. The previous season also saw the rise of other goalkeepers like Southampton’s Fraser Forster, Stoke City’s Jack Butland, and Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel. Here is a look at the 5 contenders for Golden Glove 2016/17 campaign.
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#5 Petr Cech (Arsenal)
Former Chelsea Goalkeeper Petr Cech made an instant impact for the Gunners as he won the Golden Glove for the 2015/16 Campaign, helping Arsenal finish in second spot behind Champions, Leicester City. Cech managed to keep 16 clean sheets in 34 appearances and made some impressive saves throughout the season for the Gunners.
Even at the age of 34, Cech manages to be on top form and remains one of the best Goalkeepers in the Premier League.
In 2014/15 Campaign, Cech was no more preferred by then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as the young Belgian Thibaut Courtois returned after a successful season with the Spanish Club Athletico Madrid. Petr Cech was sold by Chelsea in 2015 to Arsenal in a deal believed to be worth £10 Million. The deal was more than justified as he ended up winning the Golden Glove and will be one of the favorites to win it this time around as well.
#4 Joe Hart (Manchester City)
English Goalkeeper Joe Hart features on this list of top contenders for the Golden Glove this season. The 29-year-old has faced criticism for committing errors in the recent UEFA Euro 2016 and was blamed for England’s early exit from the competition.
Hart had won the Golden Glove in the 2014-15 Premier League Campaign, keeping 14 clean sheets in 36 appearances for Machester City. Hart continued his good form in the previous season for City, keeping 15 clean sheets in 35 appearances and will be looking to prove himself again by forgetting his Euro performance and start with a clean slate.
Hart has been the No.1 choice for both Manchester City and England for quite some time now and has appeared in 266 matches for the English Club. Hart will be looking to utilize the wealth of experience he has gained in the Premier League and help Manchester City claim back the throne.
#3 Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris will certainly be a challenger for the Golden Glove this season. Having played 37 games, the Frenchman managed to keep 13 clean sheets in the previous season.
Lloris joined Spurs in 2012 and has played 136 matches so far in the Premier League, being a wonderful addition to the English club. The 29-year-old captained France in the Euro 2016 but ended up on the losing side against Portugal in the Final.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has stuck with Hugo Lloris as their go-to-keeper and Lloris has repaid his faith by performing consistently throughout their previous campaign. Tottenham also booked a spot in the Champions League after 5 years and will be hoping to put on a formidable show. Lloris’s reflexes have helped Tottenham to keep their defence intact and has made scoring goals against him a rare affair.
#2 Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
Thibaut Courtois did not have a great last season as he was red carded in the very first match of the 2015/16 campaign and also suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for close to three months.
Courtois appeared in 23 games in the previous season for Chelsea and could manage only 5 clean sheets, ending a disappointing season. Chelsea finished in tenth position and will need the 24-year-old’s assistance to get back into the Champions League.
Courtois played a major role in helping Chelsea win the 2014/15 Premier League Title, keeping 12 clean sheets in 32 appearances. With new manager Antonio Conte taking charge this season, Chelsea will be hoping that the Belgian takes control of the defence and provide some much-needed support for Chelsea to challenge their rivals for the Premier League Title.
Courtois has been known for his great positioning along with his height that has given him an advantage over the opposing strikers.
#1 David de Gea (Manchester United)
David De Gea, the Spanish Goalkeeper, is one of the top contenders for the 2016/17 season. He managed to keep 15 clean sheets in 34 appearances for the Red Devils and played a crucial role in helping them finish at the fifth position in the previous season.
The Spanish goalkeeper was about to make a switch to Real Madrid in 2015 but the deal did not go through and he signed a new deal to keep him at Manchester United. The 25-year-old Spaniard also featured in the recent Uefa Euro 2016 in France but could not help Spain against the Italians as they were knocked out in the Round of 16.
With the addition of the Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the record transfer of the Frenchman Paul Pogba indicates that United will be aiming to win the Premier League title this season and get into the Champions League as well.
De Gea’s Goalkeeping prowess combined with the new additions under the former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be something to look forward to this season.
