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We’ve seen goalscoring records tumble as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to enjoy stellar seasons, but the men at the other side remain as under-appreciated as ever. It takes a certain amount of crazy to be a goalkeeper, but some pull the balancing act off with a great degree of panache.
Here are the 10 best goalkeepers of 2017:
#10 Alphonse Areola - Paris St-Germain
Kevin Trapp's status as #1 PSG custodian has been torn to shreds by Alphonse Areola in 2017. The Frenchman has been quite impressive for the Ligue 1 giants, leading to their CEO dismissing rumours of a move for a new goalkeeper.
The pressure that comes with playing for the richest club in football is something else, but 24-year-old Areola has been quite assured in his handling, leading to calls for him to replace Hugo Lloris for the French national team. Areola still has a mistake in him, but he's improved his handling this season, coupled to his already excellent reflexes.
The future can only be bright if he keeps up his form.
#9 Keylor Navas - Real Madrid
Hombre de fe.
Keylor Navas’ recently launched biopic was aptly titled ‘Man of Faith’, but the Costa Rican has taken quite a hit to his belief in 2017. Yes, Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga, but Navas’ end to the 2016/17 season was less than assured.
The keeper that looked nigh on impregnable in 2016 allowed embarrassing errors to creep into his performances in 2017 - albeit Madrid’s shaky defence of late has hardly helped him.
Navas is still an exceptional keeper though, capable of some stellar performances in the big moments of big games such as El Clasico. Real Madrid may want David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois, but in the man their fans call ‘God’ there is still the capacity for redemption in 2018.
All it takes is faith.
#8 Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan
Agents. Goddamn agents.
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s meteoric rise to the very top echelons of goalkeeping-dom took a sour turn this year, much of it due to matters off the pitch. Goaded by Mino Raiola, Donnarumma was tempted into considering a move to the Rossoneri’s hated rivals, Juventus.
What ought to have been a legendary career that could have mirrored that of Paolo Maldini’s became another run-of-the-mill career of a talented youngster. With fans showing their displeasure, it naturally showed in the 18-year-old’s performances - lacking the eery assurance he displayed last year.
Raiola further made things difficult for his client, as his comments towards the end of 2017 completed Donnarumma’s breakdown in relationship with the Milan ultras, with the tearful youngster having to be comforted by teammates after a banner was unfurled wanting him to be sold.
Despite the turmoil off and on the pitch, Donnarumma has continued to pull off some astounding reflex saves this calendar year, and his rise up this list next year is assured if he makes a move away from the San Siro.
#7 Alisson Becker - AS Roma
Not many know of Alisson's feats in 2017, but post the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the AS Roma goalkeeper could be a household name. This is a man who is keeping out the most expensive goalkeeper in the world for Brazil, and it may even be deserved.
Most Brazilians explain Alisson's #1 role for the Selecao as an outcome of manager's Tite's loyalty, but that does the former Internacional custodian a grave injustice. Becker took over from Szczesny for Roma and has not looked back, becoming a vital member of Eusebio di Francesco's preference for playing out from the back.
Alisson's penchant for pulling off one-on-one saves has bailed Roma out multiple times this season, and his numbers prove that he is a keeper who is improving at an exponential rate.
Keep it up, and a World Cup medal might be his soon enough.
#6 Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea
Once considered one of the best in the world, Thibaut Courtois has seen his star fall over the last few years, as the Belgian has struggled with consistency - looking nigh on unbeatable in a few games, while also having far more frequent moments of nervous handling.
Perhaps uncertainty over his future is playing a part - Courtois' contract runs out at the end of next season - and he has put talks with Chelsea on hold. Conte is in no doubt about the Belgian's quality, though, saying "I consider him one of the best. For sure, he will be the best in the world, maybe he is now the best. But, for sure, in the future, he will be the best goalkeeper."
When a man who's coached Gigi Buffon for quite a while has those words to say, you tend to agree - Courtois will not stay at #6 for long. The Belgian has begun to look his old self in the 2017/18 season, and things are on the upswing.
#5 Ederson - Benfica & Manchester City
It took the best part of two decades for Gianluigi Buffon's status as the most expensive goalkeeper in the world to be eclipsed - the fact that it was Ederson Moraes from Benfica who eventually broke that record seemed to underwhelm quite a few people.
The man Pep Guardiola tasked with replacing Claudio Bravo took like a duck to water to the Premier League, despite Sadio Mane's 'attempt at decapitation'. A perfect reflection of his manager - Ederson is the perfect representation of a modern goalkeeper, equally adept with his feet as he is with his hands, with quick reflexes combined with a zeal to mop things up as a sweeper.
While plenty of plaudits are being handed out to his outfield teammates as City march to the title, Ederson surely deserves his share of the praise as well - his stunning double save against Manchester United may be the moment when he guaranteed Pep Guardiola his first trophy in English football.
Not bad for €40 million.
#4 Jan Oblak - Atletico Madrid
The CIES Football Observatory has named Jan Oblak as the most valuable goalkeeper in football at the moment - above the likes of David de Gea, Gianluigi Buffon and the like. Oblak's stature in the game has been steadily increasing - the 24-year-old might soon become the world's most expensive goalkeeper, as rumours keep circulating that Paris St-Germain are all set to trigger his massive €100 million release clause.
So what's all the hubbub about?
The Slovenian is a two-time recipient of the Zamora award for goalkeepers in La Liga - to put it in perspective, Iker Casillas only won the Zamora award once. Naysayers of Oblak's qualities have noted that the Atletico Madrid custodian's propensity for clean sheet records only occurs due to the defence that Diego Simeone has set up in front of him.
While there may be truth to that opinion in the past, it certainly does not hold true this season. Oblak has bailed out Atletico's nervy defence multiple times this season, and the work he has put in training has paid off, with improved handling when it comes to claiming crosses in the box all too visible this season.
At the age of 24, Oblak has the world at his feet - continue the upward trajectory and he could very well be one of the all-time greats.
Honourable Mentions
Before we move on to our top 3, here's a hat-tip to those goalkeepers who narrowly missed out on this list.
Manuel Neuer - Bayern Munich
Now now, I can hear your blood boiling with the exclusion of Neuer, but the truth is that the German only played 3 months of 2017 - and thus cannot truly be considered. Had Neuer played the entire year, there would be no doubt that he would be challenging for the top spots. The German who changed the definition of a top goalkeeper will be hungry to reclaim his crown as the best, and you wouldn't bet against him.
Neto - Valencia
Having been backup to Gigi Buffon in the last few seasons, not much was made about Neto's move to Valencia, but the Brazilian has been in such stellar form that Los Che have made a decent fist of an early-season title challenge. Keep the trend going, and Neto could soon be considered as one of the best.
Alberto Brignoli - Benevento
Brignoli isn't really in this list for his feats as a goalkeeper. The Benevento custodian is simply in this list for providing us with the best moment involving a goalkeeper all season. A team that had suffered multiple last-minute heartbreaking losses - not earning a single point all season. Gennaro Gattuso's first game as AC Milan manager, and up pops Brignoli in the final minute to score an equalizing goal. Dreamland.
#3 Gianluigi Buffon - Juventus
There are some miracles you simply don’t ask in football. To ask for Gianluigi Buffon to end his career lifting the World Cup aloft for Italy in 2018 was simply too much. To ask for him to replicate his stunning 2016 would have been too much as well. Too much? Nope.
I’ll refrain from the cliched comparison of Buffon to a fine wine - simply because the harsh truth is that one can visibly see the reflexes dimming of late. Gigi is still capable of the stunning save (cast your mind back to the one against Andres Iniesta), but the fire within him seems to have dimmed ever since the heartbreak that was Italy vs Sweden.
The Italian veteran can still defy time - but only for so long. Wojciech Szczesny is making far more appearances in the Juventus goal than expected. Gianluigi Buffon was Sportskeeda's Best Goalkeeper of 2016 - but that reign has come to an end, and in all probability, will never happen again.
Still, we can but only thank him for being the best in the world for decades. Grazie, Gigi.
#2 David de Gea - Manchester United
For a very brief moment, I considered copping out and naming De Gea as the joint #1 goalkeeper of 2017. That's how good (and close) it was. I'll go into the reasons why DdG was not the best on 2017 later, but for now let's focus on why he's considered by many to be the best in the world.
That Arsenal game.
It was enough of a microcosm of what De Gea brings to Mourinho's United. De Gea pulled off save after stunning save - equalling the record for the most saves in a single Premier League game.
A large part of the reason that Manchester United were even in with a sniff of title this season was De Gea - mostly because his numbers for 2017 are *literally* off the charts.
David de Gea made a save that you didn't expect him to make so often in 2017 - that it masks the defensive decline Jose Mourinho's side have had. If the Spaniard makes his much-rumoured move to Real Madrid - he will no doubt obliterate the fee for the most expensive goalkeeper in the world.
And it will be worth the money.
#1 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen - Barcelona
Yeah.
This is quite the turn-around for a goalkeeper who did not even make the list in our 2016 edition. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is the best goalkeeper in football currently, and even the numbers bear it out - he is such an outlier most people claim it cannot last.
So why is the Barcelona shot-stopper better than David de Gea? The truth is - purely as a goalkeeper - the Spaniard edges the German. But what elevates Ter Stegen is simply his ability with the ball - he routinely outpasses opposition midfielders, not to mention he's reaching Neuer-like levels when it comes to the sweeper-keeper role.
A large part of Barcelona's defensive improvement (they've conceded the least in all of Europe's Top 5 Leagues) is down to Ter Stegen. He allows Pique and Umtiti to push high and create an extremely compact play-zone for Barcelona - with any long ball over the top swiftly dealt by the German - not with a clearance, but with a well-judged pass.
Ter Stegen's abilities passed under the radar for much of the season, but the world saw him at his best in El Clasico. Manuel Neuer better look out - the position of German national goalkeeper isn't as assured - Ter Stegen is coming for you.
