The Best Penalty Stoppers in Premier League History
In the 53rd minute of their match vs. Everton, Manchester City were awarded a penalty. Erling Haaland stepped up to the spot, seeking to break his goal-scoring duck, and fired a low and powerful effort that was saved by Jordan Pickford. Bernardo Silva headed the rebound towards the path of Haaland who headed home, only to be denied by the offsides flag. Everton ended up prevailing with a vital point, holding City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.
It was the second straight penalty that Pickford stopped, and it’s yet another reason why he has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. There are many attributes that define goalkeepers, but perhaps one of the most important traits is penalty-saving ability. Today, we’re taking a look at the best penalty savers in Premier League history.
Łukasz Fabiański
There’s no other position in football that has as much longevity as goalkeeper, and Łukasz Fabiański is testament to this. He was 22 when he left Poland for English club Arsenal, impressing between the sticks before eventually losing his place to compatriot Wojciech Szczęsny. After seven years in North London, he headed for Swansea City in 2014 where he emerged as the starter in goal.
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Following a four-year spell in Wales, Fabiański returned to the capital and joined West Ham United, where he has continued to excel and help his team grow on the domestic and international front. He’s become the first Polish player to reach 300 Premier League appearances, and at 39, he’s still going strong. According to Transfermarkt, he’s made the most penalty stops (10) in Premier League history, keeping out 20.4% of the efforts.
Heurelho Gomes
Each of the last seven Premier League titles have been won by a team with a Brazilian goalkeeper (Ederson and Alisson). However, before them, another Brazilian goalkeeper was impressing in England’s top-flight: Heurelho Gomes. Similarly to Ronaldo, he got his first start in football with Cruzeiro and PSV Eindhoven, but unlike the legendary Brazilian striker, he plied his trade in the Premier League.
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After a shaky start to life in North London, Gomes came alive in the 2009/10 season, leading Tottenham to their first Premier League victory vs. Arsenal in 21 meetings and guiding them to their first-ever Champions League berth. However, the arrival of Hugo Lloris would see him relegated to backup status and eventually join Watford in 2014. Across his 195 league appearances, Gomes saved 9 penalties out of the 35 that he faced.
Mark Bosnich
He may have been born in Australia, but Mark Bosnich made his name in England. He joined Manchester United in 1988, only to head back to Down Under in 1991 due to work permit issues. He was back in the UK after a few months, making the move to Aston Villa. In 1994, Bosnich managed to save five penalties in one week — after keeping out three spot-kicks in a shootout to lead Villa past Tranmere Rovers and into the League Cup Final, he saved two penalties in a Premier League match vs. Tottenham.
Bosnich would end up steering Villa to their first trophy in 12 years, before winning another League Cup in 1996. He returned to Manchester United in 1999, where he won the Premier League title, before taking his talents to Chelsea in 2002. Three decades later, Bosnich’s penalty heroics are still fondly remembered by Villa fans, having kept out four out of the 17 penalties that he faced in England’s top-flight (23.5%).
Simon Mignolet
Across his decade in the Premier League, Simon Mignolet gained a reputation for his penalty heroics. He made his Sunderland debut in 2010 and earned the Man of the Match award vs. Birmingham City, with the young Belgian goalkeeper emerging as a reliable pair of hands for the Black Cats. After three years at the Stadium of Light, Mignolet headed to Liverpool, whose manager Brendan Rodgers praised him as one of the “best goalkeepers in the Premier League.”
Mignolet never quite managed to convince Liverpool fans of his merits and was eventually shipped out after losing his place to Alisson, but it cannot be denied that he helped set the foundations for the Reds’ golden period. Mignolet kept out 8 of his 28 penalty efforts in the league, and today, he’s still going strong for Belgian giants Club Brugge.
Manuel Alumnia
David Raya is currently delivering the goods in goal for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, but he’s not the only Spaniard who impressed between the sticks for Arsenal. He left Spain for England in 2004 and joined the Gunners after their Invincible season, initially serving as backup to Jens Lehmann. However, he was thrust into the spotlight in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, coming on after 20 minutes after Lehmann was sent off, but he was unable to prevent them from losing to Barcelona.
Alumnia eventually won the number one spot in the 2007/08 season and emerged as a key figure between the sticks, before eventually losing his place to Polish duo Fabiański and Szczęsny. He made the move to Watford in 2012, spending two years at Vicarage Road before hanging up his boots. The Spaniard prevented six out of the 14 penalties that he faced during his time in the Premier League (42.9%), boasting one of the finest percentages in the history of the competition.
Dean Henderson
Last but not least, we’re shining the spotlight on a current Premier League goalkeeper: Dean Henderson. After beginning his development at Carlisle United, Henderson joined Manchester United’s academy in 2011. He made his way through the youth ranks at Carrington before proving himself on loan at Stockport County, Grimsby Town and Shrewsbury Town. However, it was at Sheffield United where he truly excelled, leading them back to the Premier League after a decade in the lower leagues.
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He never quite managed to beat out David De Gea for the #1 spot at Manchester United, however, and was loaned out to Nottingham Forest before eventually joining Crystal Palace on a permanent deal in 2023. Today, Henderson is flourishing between the sticks for the Eagles and recently made his first start for the England national team. Whilst Henderson has only faced nine penalties during his Premier League career, he’s already saved four of them (44.4%)
By: Zach Lowy / @ZachLowy
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Getty Images