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In modern football, the role of the goalkeeper is evolving. With the advent of the sweeper keeper, a role perfected by Manuel Neuer, it could be said that it is becoming more and more important for a goalkeeper to be good with his feet.
Having said that, it must be noted that the primary function of the goalkeeper is to stop the ball crossing the line. So as good as Claudio Bravo is on the ball, he will be remembered for his lacklustre saves or in the Manchester City blue.
The goalkeeper is undoubtedly the player on whom the most responsibility falls as a mistake by the goalie results in a goal and puts him under the scanner.
A goalkeeper also has to take a lot of abuse due to the direct consequences each mistake brings, with Loris Karius.
In this slideshow, we will look at some of the best goalkeeping performances of the 21st century:
#5 David De Gea vs Arsenal (Premier League)
There was no clean sheet on the night for De Gea but on this day he disproved any doubters and established himself at the top of the list of world-class goalkeepers.
After Manchester United took a 2-0 lead, they began to sit deep and defend against an Arsenal side that proceeded to pepper their goal with THIRTY-THREE shots!
De Gea made a string of spectacular saves, in the process equalling the record for most saves in a match with his 14.
The pick of the bunch was undoubtedly the double save from Alexandre Lacazette and the onrushing, now Manchester United star, Alexis Sanchez.
Dave truly saved the game for Manchester United, who would go on to win 3-1, saving shots from Mesut Ozil, Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin in addition to the aforementioned Sanchez and Lacazette.
While Arsenal could have done better, that should take nothing away from a spectacular Ddg performance.
#4 David Marshall vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)
David Marshall may be familiar to Premier League fans, who will remember him for his excellent season for Cardiff the last time they played in the top tier, but before he became a middling keeper in the English pyramid, Marshall was a hot prospect in Scotland.
He came through the Celtic youth set-up and made his first start for the club against Barcelona in a fourth-round UEFA Cup match. Deputising for one Rab Douglas, Marshall put in a stunning performance.
Marshall was truly unbeatable on the day, making outstanding saves from the likes of Luis Enrique, Luis Garcia, Sergio Garcia, Gerard and a litany of other Barcelona stars.
His saves were all different too from a one-handed parry to a charge down to an acrobatic, reflex block... what made this performance so special was that nobody saw it coming from a relative unknown in Marshall.
#3 Joe Hart vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)
Joe Hart has come in for a lot of criticism recently, most of it deservedly so, as his performances have taken a dip over the past couple of seasons.
While he did miss out on England's World Cup squad, it shouldn't take away from the fact that Hart was a truly world class keeper for Manchester City.
While City succumbed to a 1-0 defeat and crashed out of the Champions League, it must be said that the match should have and would have been a rout was it not for Hart putting in the performance of a lifetime and arguably, the best of his career.
Hart, consistently being left exposed by his defence and midfield, made seven outstanding saves and kept MSN at bay.
The goal he conceded, a strike from Ivan Rakitic was from a shot he could do nothing about. After the performance, Hart received praise from England rival Jack Butland among others and established that he was truly a world class goalkeeper.
#2 Guillermo Ochoa vs Brazil ( 2014 World Cup )
The Mexican shot-stopper Ochoa has made a name for himself as a World Cup specialist, a rare breed of player that thrives for his country on the grandest stage of football but struggles to impress at club level.
Against Brazil, Ochoa was in inspired form making four brilliant saves and staving off the threat of a supremely talented home side.
The most notable save, one that lingers in the memory even today is from a bullet header by Neymar, one that drew comparisons to Gordon Banks' save from Pele in 1970. In the process, he kept a clean sheet as the Mexicans held Brazil to a 0-0 draw.
In the aftermath of his performance, Ochoa was universally praised. Deservedly named the man of the match, he was praised by opponent coach and former Chelsea boss, Luiz Felipe Scolari.
#1 Tim Howard vs Belgium ( 2014 World Cup )
The performance that became a meme and saw the crowning of a new American hero in former Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard.
A fantastic performance from Howard, who made 16 saves against a rampant Belgian side including the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Divock Origi, Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens. but could not prevent American defeat in extra time.
Howard had played a crucial role in the United State's progression from the group of death at the World Cup.
After a superhuman performance in regulation time, where Howard made 11 saves, he finally showed that he was human, letting in strikes from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, but not before writing his name in history.
Of course, it remains an iconic performance and before we had Dave Saves for David De Gea, Tim Howard was the undisputed meme lord of the goalkeepers.
Do you agree with our list? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
