Ranking the 5 greatest Premier League Golden Glove winners of the last decade
The Premier League Golden Glove is a relatively new award, which was handed out for the first time in 2005. In the years since then, its pedigree has grown exponentially, with many top goalkeepers vying for the award throughout the season.
The criteria for the award is pretty simple. It is given to the goalkeeper who keeps the most clean sheets in a Premier League season. Many critics over the years have argued that it might not be the fairest way to decide who has been the best keeper, as the recipient of the awards have exclusively been goalkeepers who represent the top four clubs.
Top goalkeepers to win the Premier League Golden Glove in the last decade
A lot of top goalkeepers have won the Premier League Golden Glove award in the last few years, with some of them clinching the award more than once. On that note, here's a look at the five greatest Premier League Golden Glove winners of the last decade:
#5 David De Gea (Manchester United) - 2017-18
It's hard to imagine where Manchester United would have been during the mid-2010s had it not been for David De Gea's performances in goal.
De Gea was comfortably Manchester United's best player at the time and arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. The Spanish international was a world-class shot-stopper in his prime, and often frustrated attackers with his point-blank saves.
During the 2017-18 season, Manchester United finished a distant second with 81 points, behind eventual champions Manchester City, who amassed 100. But despite City's excellence throughout the season, it was De Gea who won the Golden Glove award, keeping 18 clean sheets, one more than Manchester City's Ederson.
Apart from winning the Golden Glove, De Gea has been included in the PFA Team of the Year five times, and has won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award four times in the last decade.
The 30-year-old has struggled in the Premier League in recent seasons, but he still remains one of the best players to ever play for Manchester United.
#4 Alisson (Liverpool) - 2018-19
Alisson Becker is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in Liverpool history. Known for his brilliant passing ability and calmness under pressure, Alisson has built a reputation for pulling out crucial saves in critical moments of games. He has been a commanding presence in the box for the Reds, and has been crucial to their recent success.
The Brazilian joined Liverpool in 2018, and immediately made a huge impact for the Reds. Along with Virgil van Dijk, Alisson was key in Liverpool's title challenge that season.
The Reds conceded just 22 goals that season, the fewest in the Premier League, but were narrowly edged out by Manchester City on the final day of the season. However, Alisson won the Golden Glove that season, keeping 21 clean sheets, the most in a Premier League season in the last decade.
Even though the Reds did not win the Premier League that season, they did clinch their sixth Champions League title, with Alisson playing a key role. He also won the Copa America with Brazil that year, before going on to win the Premier League with Liverpool the next season.
Alisson had an underwhelming 2020-21 Premier League campaign, but he did score a rare goal late in the season to keep Liverpool in top-4 contention. With key players back in the team, the Reds will once again look to challenge for the Premier League title this season.