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According to a popular adage, goalkeepers are the last line of defence and the first line of attack. In modern football, that cannot be more true. Nowadays, goalkeepers are expected to not only be good shot-stoppers, but also be skilled with the ball at their feet.
The role of a goalkeeper has evolved over the years. The demands of the modern game have forced shot-stoppers to improve their footwork, positioning and ball distribution. However, it is rare to find such world-class goalkeepers, and only a few clubs are blessed to have such personnel.
On that note, here's a look at the five best goalkeepers in the game at the moment:
#5 Edouard Mendy
Edouard Mendy is regarded by many as the finest shot-stopper in the Premier League currently. He has tallied 34 clean sheets in just 59 appearances for the club across competitions.
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The Senegal international has conceded a meagre 35 goals in his relatively young Chelsea career. Mendy has enjoyed a rapid rise to fame since his move to London in the summer of 2020. Brought in to take over from the error-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mendy hasn't disappointed. He has firmly established himself as Chelsea's No. 1 between the sticks.
One of his most memorable performances in a Chelsea shirt came recently against Brentford in a narrow 1-0 win. Mendy put up a masterclass against the newly promoted team, registering six saves to secure all three points for The Blues. He also kept out Christian Norgaard's perfectly-timed bicycle kick with an astounding acrobatic save.
The Blues paid only £22 million to Lille for the Senegal international's services. A little over a year later, it can be said that he has been Chelsea's best bit of incoming business in the last few years.
#4 Ederson
Following Pep Guardiola's arrival in Manchester in the summer of 2016, the Spaniard almost immediately set about overhauling City's ageing squad. One of the earliest recruitments of Guardiola was the €40-million signing of Ederson from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica.
After experimenting with the likes of Claudio Bravo and Joe Hart in his first few seasons at the club, Guardiola found a permanent solution in the Brazilian international. The dynamic, ball-playing goalkeeper has been a perfect fit for Guardiola's system, which emphasises building up play from the back.
Ederson's arrival allowed the City defence to play more balls out from the back, facilitating the successful implementation of Guardiola's 'total football' ideology. The Brazilian goalkeeper is known for being calm and collected with the ball at his feet. He can pick out a long pass or release an attacker in open space with consummate ease.
In the 2020-21 season, the 28-year old racked up 19 clean sheets in 28 Premier League appearances. He also kept seven clean sheets in 12 Champions League games. While City won the league, they reached the final in the other competition.
Ederson has enjoyed a solid start to his 2021-22 Premier League campaign, keeping six clean sheets in ten games.
#3 Gianluigi Donnarumma
Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, is a generational talent in his position.
Standing at 6' 5", the PSG man is known to make excellent use of his physical presence. He consistently positions himself close to the trajectory of shots. That allows him cut out the goalscoring angles and also help pull off stunning saves from open play.
Donnarumma has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the game at the moment. Still only 22, the Italian shot-stopper is only bound to get better. He also has a reputation for pulling off saves consistently in one-on-one situations, especially penalties, by making good use of his giant frame.
In the 2020-21 Serie A, Donnarumma kept the joint-most clean sheets (14) alongside Samir Handanovic. Moreover, the Italian shot-stopper conceded only four goals in seven games in Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 winner, keeping three clean sheets.
The 22-year old is arguably the best goalkeeper when it comes to saving penalties. He has a 100% success rate in the five penalty shootouts he has been a part of for club and country.
Most recently, he saved a penalty during PSG's Champions League game against RB Leipzig.
#2 Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker is the most expensive Brazilian goalkeeper of all time, following his €62.5 million move to Anfield.
Following a shocking display by Loris Karius in the 2017-18 Champions League final against Real Madrid, Liverpool splashed the cash to land Alisson a month later. Along with Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Alisson is undoubtedly one of Liverpool's most influential signings in the Jurgen Klopp era.
In only his first two years at the club, the Brazilian won four trophies. That includes the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Alisson would also go on to win the Premier League Golden Glove accolade in just his first season in English football. He notched up 21 league clean sheets in his debut season.
The Brazilian goalkeeper played a pivotal role in Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League triumph. Thanks to his exploits - 17 clean sheets - The Reds won their first league title in the Premier League era.
Alisson has already notched up six clean sheets in 14 appearances across competitions this season.
#1 Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak has established himself as arguably the best goalkeeper in world football at the moment. He has played an indispensable role for Diego Simeone's side over the years.
The Slovenian international uses his physical presence and impeccable positioning to place himself in the right place at the right time to thwart goalscoring chances. The 28-year0old is also one of the most skilled goalkeepers with the ball at his feet.
Oblak has mastered various footwork techniques during his seven-year spell at Atletico Madrid. Some of them include bounding, shuffling and crossover stepping, among others. The 28-year old has also been a recipient of the prestigious Zamora trophy. He has kept 164 clean sheets in 319 appearances across competitions for the defending La Liga champions.
The Zamora Trophy is awarded to the La Liga goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded during a season. Oblak has won it five times during his seven-year stay in the Spanish capital.
In the ongoing 2021-22 campaign, Oblak has registered five clean sheets in 16 appearances across competitions for Los Colchoneros.
