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Just as important as scoring goals at one end is keeping them out at the other. A strong defence led by a top goalkeeper is a dream combination for any side and some of the best teams in the world, unsurprisingly, also have some of the best goalkeepers.
The debate over who is the greatest goalkeeper in the world is an argument for another day. A good goalkeeper has to have an array of qualities ranging from shot stopping, handling and positioning to passing the ball out from the back.
One of the most common parameters by which goalkeepers are measured by is the number of clean sheets that one keeps over the course of a season. So, let's take a look at the top 10 goalkeepers with the most clean sheets this season.
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#10 Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan) - 16 clean sheets
The Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic did excellently between the sticks for the Nerrazzuri this season and played a crucial role in Antonio Conte's side keeping the best defensive record in the league. They conceded 7 goals fewer than eventual Serie A winners Juventus.
Handanovic is a great shot stopper with excellent reflexes. He is difficult to get past from close range. At 193 cms, the Slovenian is excellent at making himself big and stopping shots from close proximity. He is 36-years-old but his performance levels haven't dipped.
#9 Alisson Becker (Liverpool) - 16 clean sheets
Like Samir Handanovic, the Liverpool no. 1 has also kept 16 clean sheets except for he took 11 fewer games to do it than his Inter Milan counterpart. Alisson has been excellent for Liverpool and played a big hand in maintaining Anfield as the fortress it is.
Alisson is a great shot stopper and is equally adept at handling balls from both long and close range. He is also excellent with the ball at his feet and enjoys playing the ball out from the back. The Brazilian also loves to step out and sweep behind the Liverpool backline and does it with elan.
#8 Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona) - 17 clean sheets
The Barcelona no.1 is widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers plying their trade presently. The German international is an outstanding goalkeeper and in addition to his obvious shot stopping abilities, he is excellent with the ball at his feet as well. Well, he better be because he plays for Barcelona after all.
No La Liga keeper has a better pass completion rate than the German. Ter Stegen is agile and brave and he never shies away from putting his body on the line to dive in to collect a ball where the boots are flyng.
Barcelona had a largely forgettable season and it would have been even worse if they hadn't got one of the best goalkeepers in the world guarding their net.
#7 David Soria (Getafe) - 17 clean sheets
The 27-year-old Spaniard came through the Real Madrid youth setup and after having disastrous spells on the English shores early on in his career, he seems to have really come to his own.
He kept 17 clean sheets for Getafe from 42 games this season. Soria is an athletic and agile goalkeeper who flies across the face of goal to make some outrageous saves. Though at times his concentration has been found to be lacking, he has made up for it with shot-stopping and distributing.
#6 Rui Patricio (Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 19 clean sheets
A hit among the Fantasy Premier League fanbase, the Portuguese goalkeeper has kept 19 clean sheets from 53 games this season. Wolves had a ridiculously long season that stretched for a year but Patricio remained consistent throughout.
He made 91 saves from 38 appearances in the Premier League this season which included 2 penalties. The 32-year-old's handling is excellent and he is a tall customer and is often seen running into crowded areas to claim an aerial ball or punch it clear.
Rui Patricio is also good at distributing the ball and loves to kick it long for the likes of Raul Jimenez or Adama Traore to run on to.
#5 Ederson Moraes (Manchester City) - 19 clean sheets
The Manchester City no.1 proved to be a great find for Pep Guardiola after his Claudio Bravo plan failed to take off. Ederson has been vital to Manchester City's recent success and has contributed greatly with his goalkeeping and ability with the ball at his feet.
Ederson can telegraph some excellent passes into the opposition half helping City transition from defence to attack in the blink of an eye. Ederson also dominates his box by pulling off some absolute beauties for saves and also running out to claim high balls played into the box with great composure.
#4 Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain) - 19 clean sheets
Keylor Navas was excellent for Paris Saint-Germain this season making some big saves during the French side's run to the final of the UEFA Champions League. The Costa Rican has consistently been one of the best goalkeepers in the world for a decade and continues to kick on in the same vein.
Real Madrid was always keen to replace the dependable Navas with a more marketable name but he's proved that he did not win 3 back to back UEFA Champions League titles just because he was fortunate enough to be part of a great team.
What makes Keylor Navas' record from this season even more impressive is the fact that he kept 19 clean sheets from just 35 appearances this season.
#3 Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) - 21 clean sheets
Thibaut Courtois career seemed to be destined for doom after making his dream move to Real Madrid. In his initial days at the club, the Belgian goalkeeper struggled to fit in and was derided for being quite erratic after displacing Keylor Navas as the Real Madrid no. 1.
It then speaks volumes of his character that Courtois fought through the initial difficulties and battled on to become an absolute beast between the sticks for Real Madrid. The Real Madrid goal was so difficult to breach this La Liga season that they only conceded 25 goals and that is, in no small part, thanks to Courtois' exploits.
Courtois kept a shot saving rate of more than 78% in the La Liga this term and it is the highest among La Liga goalkeepers who have faced more than 60 shots this term.
#2 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) - 22 clean sheets
Why hasn't the outstanding Marc-Andre ter Stegen failed to become Germany's no. 1 you ask? The reason is simple. Manuel Neuer. The 34-year-old German continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in the business and is sure to go down in history as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Neuer was a formidable presence between the sticks as Bayern Munich won the continental treble. He was perhaps the Bavarians' best player on the pitch in the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain making some ridiculous saves with his legs to deny the likes of Mbappe and Neymar.
Manuel Neuer kept 22 clean sheets from 51 games and continues to come up trumps on the biggest of occasions.
#1 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - 22 clean sheets
Jan Oblak is not perhaps the archetypal modern day goalkeeper who has to play a crucial role in playing the ball out from the back. We'll leave that to the Edersons and Neuers. But when it comes to good old shot stopping, there is no one greater than Diego Simeone's war general, Jan Oblak.
Atletico Madrid has one of the best defensive units in the world and they like to sit deep and let the opposition play. As such, they require a goalkeeper who can dominate his area, make some great stops and rise up to collect dangerous balls that are swung into the area.
Jan Oblak does all that with aplomb. It is then no surprise that Oblak is considered the best goalkeeper in the world by a lot of people.
