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When a team wins a penalty, almost everyone believes it would be converted into a goal, apart from the goalkeeper, of course. However, he is in a huge minority. A saved penalty is always a thing of unexpected pleasure for the team which manages it, and one of untold agony for the one which bungles it up. Now, imagine the plaudits a keeper will earn if he managed to save two penalties in a match!Only seven keepers in Premier League history have managed this astonishing task of saving two penalties in a match. Let us take a look at these players.
#7 Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich, the former Australia international, played for Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League. He was the first goalkeeper in the Premier League history to save two penalties in a match.
He played for Aston Villa between 1992 and 1999. In 1999, he was signed by Manchester United and given the tough job of replacing Peter Schmeichel in goal. After Fabien Barthez was drafted in, he was relegated to becoming 3rd choice keeper and subsequently moved to Chelsea on a free transfer in 2001.
On 2nd of March 1994, he became the first goalkeeper to accomplish the feat, denying Darren Anderton and then Nick Barmby from the spot in six minutes either side of half-time against Tottenham Hotspur. Bosnich saved Anderton's penalty by diving to his right. Bramby sent his penalty to the left of the keeper, but he was denied by a diving Bosnich.
Gary Parker had given Villa the lead in the 9th minute, and Rony Rosenthal equalized in the 73rd minute for Tottenham. If not for Bosnich's heroics, Villa would have faced a heavy defeat against Tottenham.
#6 Pavel Srnicek
Pavel Srnicek was a former Czech Goalkeeper who played for Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, and West Ham United in the Premier League. He died on the 29th of December, 2015 due to a cardiac arrest.
He achieved the feat of saving two penalties in a match while playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Aston Villa. On 18th December, 1999, Gilles De Bilde gave Sheffield the lead from the spot in the 20th minute. Dion Dublin won the first penalty for Aston Villa but was denied by Srnicek with a great save.
Paul Merson equalized for Villa with a long-range effort in the 69th minute. Benito Carbone won the second penalty, and Merson stepped up to take it, but Srnicek was in no mood to concede a penalty on the day. Despite saving two penalties, Srnicek couldn't help avoid defeat for Sheffield Wednesday as Ian Taylor's diving header in 82nd minute gave Aston Villa the win.
#5 Edwin van der Sar
The Manchester United and Netherlands legend Edwin van der Sar became the third goalkeeper in Premier League history to achieve this rare feat. Most people know him because of his stellar Manchester United career, but few know that he started his Premier League career with Fulham. He achieved this feat in the 2004-05 season while playing for Fulham.
On the 2nd of February 2005, Aston Villa were again on the receiving end of some goalkeeping brilliance. Juan Pablo Angel gave Aston Villa the lead in the 55th minute. After Andy Cole missed a penalty for Fulham, Villa were awarded a spot-kick to increase their advantage. Juan Pablo Angel stepped up to take it and hit it to the right of the keeper.
Edwin van der Sar guessed it right and parried it away. Minutes later, Aston Villa again got a penalty, and Angel stepped up again. He again went to Van der Sar's right, and the result was identical to the last spot-kick. These saves became more significant when Lee Clark equalized for Fulham in the dying minutes and earned Fulham an important point.
#4 Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel is a former American shot-stopper and played in England for almost all his club career. He joined Liverpool in 1997 and then joined Blackburn Rovers in 2000. He played for nearly 8 years in a Blackburn shirt. He then joined Aston Villa in the 2008-09 season. Finally, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2011 and played for them till he retired in 2015.
On 9 September 2006, Bramall Lane witnessed three penalty saves. Friedel made two of those. First, Paddy Kenny denied Lucas Neil of Blackburn Rovers, and then Friedel matched him by denying David Unsworth in the opposite goal. Friedel was called into action once more, and he again proved unbeatable as he saved Rob Hulse's fiercely struck spot-kick. Friedel earned Rovers an important point as the game ended 0-0.
#3 Jussi Jaaskelainen
A month later, after witnessing their keeper making two penalty saves in a game, Blackburn Rovers were denied twice by Jussi Jaaskelainen from 12 yards away. Jaaskelainen is a former Finnish international and played for Bolton Wanderers from 1997 to 2012. He joined West Ham United in 2012 but a year later joined Wigan and played for 3 more years in England.
On 22 October 2006, Jaaskelainen, then playing for Bolton Wanderers, twice thwarted Blackburn Rovers from the spot. Ivan Campo gave Bolton the lead with a fine header, but Rovers were awarded two spot-kicks in the final 5 minutes.
The big Finn rose to the occasion, first he denied Benny McCarthy, and then Jason Roberts helped Bolton win the match 1-0. McCarthy went to the goalkeeper's left with a low penalty, but it was easily saved by Jaaskelainen. Jason Roberts struck an identical effort and, it was easily dealt with by Jaaskelainen once again.
#2 Maarten Stekelenburg
Maarten Stekelenburg is the most recent goalkeeper who achieved this incredible feat. There is one more keeper who had done it before him, but you will read more about him later, for a solid reason.
Maarten Stekelenburg is a Dutch international and plays for Everton currently. He joined Fulham in 2013 and was sent on a season-long loan to Monaco the next year. He joined Southampton in 2015, and a year later, joined Everton, where he is still playing but behind Jordan Pickford in the pecking order.
On 15 October 2016, he became the seventh player to stop two penalties in a match by thwarting two spot-kicks against Manchester City while playing for Everton. Manchester City were awarded a penalty in the first half after David Silva was fouled by Phil Jagielka.
Kevin De Bruyne took the resulting penalty and went for the top right corner but, Stekelenburg dived to his left and saved the shot. Against the run of play, Lukaku gave Toffees the lead. Manchester City was again awarded a penalty, and Sergio Aguero stepped up to take it.
He also went for the top right corner, but the big Dutch guessed it right and saved it. Nolito equalized for City after coming on as a sub, and the game ended 1-1. If not for Stekelenburg's heroics, Everton could have faced a heavy defeat in the game.
#1 Heurelho Gomes
It is difficult to imagine someone accomplishing this rare feat twice, but Heurelho Gomes turned this imagination into reality by doing this in 2010 and again in 2016. He is the only goalkeeper in the Premier league's 24-year history to save two penalties in a match twice.
He is a Brazilian professional who currently plays for Watford. He will retire at the end of the current season. He started his Premier League journey with Tottenham in 2008 and joined Watford in 2014
The first time, he achieved this feat was while playing for Tottenham against Sunderland. On the 3rd of April 2010, Darren Bent opened the scoring in just 34 seconds. He got his second goal of the game by dispatching a penalty to the right of Gomes.
Sunderland got their second penalty of the game shortly, and again Bent stepped up to take it. This time he went to the Goalkeeper's left, but Gomes leaped to tip the ball away. Sunderland earned one more penalty shortly, and this time Bent went to Gomes's right, but the keeper tipped it on to the post and gathered the rebound. Peter Crouch came in and halved the deficit for Tottenham, but Boudeweijn Zenden's acrobatic volley sealed the game for Sunderland.
The second time, he achieved this feat was while playing for Watford against West Bromwich Albion. On 16 April 2016, Ben Watson scored a header in the 27th minute, giving the lead to Watford. West Brom was awarded a penalty in the 67th minute, and Saido Berahino took it. He struck it to the goalkeeper's right, but it was beaten away by Gomes.
West Brom again got a penalty in the 87th minute. Again Berahino was the man given the responsibility from 12 yards. He went for a low shot towards the goalkeeper's left, but Gomes was equal to the task. Gomes's remarkable goalkeeping in the game helped Watford win the match and also helped him etch his name in the Premier League record books.
