Liverpool star Alisson has best save ratio in Premier League this season… where does your goalkeeper stand?
The Reds stopper was the hero in the final moments last night to send his team through to the Champions League knockout stages but he is also the best-performing goalkeeper in the league
ALISSON is statistically the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season.
He was the hero in the final moments last night as he denied Napoli's Arkadiusz Milik and sent Liverpool through to the Champions League knockout stages.
But it is in the Premier League he is excelling more than anybody else - proving Jurgen Klopp probably should have "paid double" because he is better than most expected.
It is beginning to look like the £67million world-record signing - before Chelsea smashed it weeks later to bring in Kepa Arrizabalaga - was a bit of a bargain.
In Opta's stats, Alisson leads the way among all goalkeepers in the league to have played ten or more games this season.
Just like Liverpool, he is top of the tree when it comes to fewest goals conceded, best minutes-per-goal-conceded ratio, save percentage, clean sheets and expected goals prevented.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has also been in fine form after his world-record transfer to ChelseaHis save ratio is a stunning 85.7 per cent meaning, in layman's terms, of the 42 shots on target he has needed to save this season, he has kept out 36.
Alisson has conceded the fewest goals of any of the 19 'keepers on the list having been beaten just six times - no Fulham stopper is on the list because Marucs Bettinelli and Sergio Rico have each played seven and Fabri has made two appearances.
Six goals from 1440 minutes equates to a goal conceded every 240 minutes - more than five 45-minute halves of football.
And his ten clean sheets, meaning he has not conceded more than once in a game, is again the best in the division.
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As his expected goals prevented is way ahead of anyone else at 6.9 goals.
The only stat he does not lead the way with is errors leading to goals after his howler against Leicester.
Clearly, Alisson has been in brilliant form for Klopp's team this season. He and Virgil van Dijk could be the two signings that will help finally land that maiden Premier League title.
A new goalkeeper was a necessity if Liverpool wanted to challenge this season after the troubles Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius endured last term.
But while Alisson appears to be in a league of his own - or a goalkeepers union of his own - the rest of the Prem's stoppers are playing catch-up.
Fellow newbie Kepa and Manchester City's Ederson are the closest challengers on the minutes-per-goal-conceded and clean sheet lists, while Hugo Lloris is pipping them into second for his 78.9 save percentage.
Although Joe Hart has conceded the most goals with 32 this season, a goal every 45 minutes, he has made the most saves with 70 highlighting just how poor Burnley have been defensively this season.
Despite being regarded as one of the best in the world over recent years, David De Gea's campaign has been very ordinary.
He has conceded 26 goals, one every 55 minutes, with a save percentage of 67.5 and just two clean sheets. Like Manchester United, he looks to have under-performed this season.
Bernd Leno came in for Petr Cech at half-time in their seventh league game but only managed his first clean sheet on Saturday.
He has made two errors leading to goals and only Bournemouth's Asmir Begovic has made more.
It is not pretty reading for Begovic - despite his side sitting eighth and enjoying a fine season going forward - whose 62.9 per cent save ratio is only better than Jonas Lossl's 61.7.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper also has the worst expected goals prevented with -4.6.
Although stats are not everything as we will know but there is a clear correlation between the best-performing shot-stoppers and their sides' positions in the league.
Alisson, Lloris, Ederson, Kepa and Leno have the top five save percentages and the top five in the league are - you guessed it - Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal.
At the other end, Fulham's constant switching of goalkeeper tells its own story as they continue to seek a first clean sheet of the campaign.
Meanwhile, strugglers Southampton, Huddersfield and Burnley can all turn to their respective stoppers' statistics as an indication as to why they are lurking in and around the relegation zone.
Interestingly, Pickford and Wolves' Rui Patricio have almost identical records this season but the Everton attack, scoring six more goals, have propelled them into seventh whereas the Black Country side are tenth.