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#3 Manuel Neuer
Even in the twilight stage of his career, Manuel Neuer remains one of the best goalkeepers in world football. The German enjoyed a long run as the undisputed #1 among his peers, and still produces consistent performances due to his mastery of the art form over the years.
Neuer pioneered the 'sweeper-keeper' role in modern football, playing just a few meters behind his centre-halves. The now-35-year-old was constantly involved in the process of playing out from the back, and would sometimes stroll to the middle of the park even under pressure from opposition players.
Neuer is arguably the greatest ball-playing goalkeeper of all time, and epitomises the famous adage of goalkeepers being 'the last line of defence and the first line of attack'. The German could only do this because of his stellar positioning and awareness of his goal post at all times. He can often be seen charging from the goal line to proactively interrupt opposition attacks.
The two-time Champions League winner likes to stay as close as possible behind his centre-halves. That is because he can then better control the space behind the backline. Manuel Neuer will go down as one of the greatest goalkeepers in footballing history.
#2 Alisson Becker
The Brazilian is undoubtedly one of the best shot-stoppers in the world game, growing from strength to strength since his €62.5 million to Liverpool.
Alisson Becker was already counted among the most talented goalkeepers of the current era, but has established his status as one of the very best during his three-year spell at Anfield. He's already a Champions League and Premier League winner in his relatively young Reds' career, and has not been a bystander in their success by any means.
Along with Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson was the missing piece of the puzzle in Jurgen Klopp's side, and both have been pivotal in Liverpool's sensational defensive record over the past few years. The now-28-year-old notched up 21 clean sheets in his debut Premier League season, along with six assists in Liverpool's glorious 2018-19 Champions League triumph.
Alisson conceded just 23 goals in Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League-winning campaign, keeping 15 clean sheets. A significant contributor to Alisson's success in goal has been his positioning, as he stays close to his goalline, and also has the physical presence to take command of his six-yard box.
#1 Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in world football currently, when it comes to positioning.
In an interview with Guillem Balague for BBC Sport, Oblak revealed the art of goalkeeping:
"The most important thing for a goalkeeper is the position he is in because if you are in a good position, have the right body posture and a cool head then many times you don't have to have extraordinary reactions to stop the ball."
He added:
"Often you make a catch that looks easy, but you are proud of it because you were in the right place at the right time."
Oblak lives by his words on the football pitch as well, using his physical presence and impeccable positioning to be at the right place at the right time. In 305 appearances for Atletico Madrid, the Slovenian has racked up a tally of 160 clean sheets.
The 28-year-old has also mastered various footwork techniques involved with goalkeeping - bounding, shuffling and crossover stepping, among others. Jan Oblak has won the prestigious Zamora trophy five times in his decade-long career. The Zamora trophy is awarded to the La Liga goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded during the season.
