Goalkeeping by numbers

The 2011/12 Premier League season saw the highest total number of goals scored in one year since it reverted to a twenty team league. In all, 1066 goals were scored over 380 games played. On average that’s 2.81 goals per game.

So far the 2012/13 season has not lacked for goals either. As it stands, a total of 651 goals have been scored. That’s an average of 2.84 goals per game.

Asmir Begovic

All of this is certainly good for the fans that pay to see goals scored but what about the poor goalkeepers? This week I take a look at the goalkeepers of the Premier League.

Joe Hart tops the clean sheet list with ten but that’s not surprising really. Mancini has his charges very well organised and they are very difficult to break down in midfield.

Hart is followed closely in the list by Petr Cech and Asmir Begovic with nine clean sheets apiece. Chelsea are always difficult to score against, especially at Stamford Bridge. Their form is sliding however. The European champions have managed only three clean sheets in their last nine games.

	Clean Sheets
1.	Joe Hart	10
2.	Petr Cech	9
3.	Asmir Begovic	9
4.	Simon Mignolet	8
5.	Pepe Reina	7
6.	Hugo Lloris	6
7.	Jussi Jaaskelainen	6

Up until December the team with the most formidable defence of all was Stoke City. But in recent times the Potter’s form has taken an alarming turn. They have no clean sheets in their last five matches and only one in their last seven.

The most worrying thing of all for Tony Pulis’ charges is that they have shipped 14 goals in those last five games. What was once the tightest ship in the league is now leaking like a sieve.

The real surprise this year however in the goalkeeping standings is that Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet is right up there with eight clean sheets. Martin O’Neill has managed to reverse the rut and Sunderland have picked up some important points in the last few weeks.

It’s no surprise to see the bottom teams with the worst clean sheet records. Reading and Wigan have only managed to keep three clean sheets all year.

QPR are beginning to benefit from the experience of Harry Rednapp. Already they look more organised. Julio Cesar has kept two clean sheets in his last three games. More of the same will be key if they are to have any hope of staying up this year.

Goalkeeping in numbers so far this year....