Top 7 goalkeepers in Premier League history

The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world and obviously attracts huge amounts of betting activity from all corners of the globe. Whether users search for odds from Italy by typing “scommesse sportive sulla Premier League” (meaning: sports betting on the Premier League); from Greece by searching for “στοιχημα πρεμιερ λιγκ” or from anywhere else in the world, the result is the same: the English league is always in the spotlight, which is why it attracts the best goalkeepers around. The latest arrival is Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joins goalkeepers such as Guglielmo Vicario and Allison in a tournament where the strikers are not the only main characters.

Before the great extreme defenders we came to love and support today, there were other excellent goalkeepers. We circled down the greatest players to ever defend a goalpost in the EPL in the following paragraphs.

Best goalies ever in the English Premier League

The following players are not listed in a particular order. The reader is free and ready to order them as they see fit.

Jens Lehmann

Lehmann was pretty fun to watch. Especially if you are not an Arsenal supporter. One minute, he was pulling off an incredible save to keep the Gunners in a game; the next, he was throwing water at an official in the Highbury tunnel before being expelled for the following game. However, he played all 38 games in Arsenal’s title-winning season in 2003/04, keeping 21 clean sheets in the process. He is a key component of that legendary campaign, the one that forged the legacy of the Invincibles. The former Germany international could intimidate opposition strikers into making totally uncharacteristic errors in front of goal and commanded his box as well as any keeper you could come across. He made some unforgivable mistakes, too, but it is all part of his charm.

Joe Hart

Joe Hart was amazing at the peak of his powers. 109 of his 127 Premier League clean sheets came during his trophy-laden time with Manchester City, helping the club to two league titles among those honours. Hart was agile, vocal and could stop even missiles on his day. That said, he seriously slowed down in his later years. However, Hart made as many as 77 saves for Burnley in his final Premier League campaign, one more than Liverpool’s great shot-stopper, Alisson.

David De Gea

Despite some shaky performances early on, it didn’t take long for the Spaniard to prove all his doubters wrong. De Gea kept almost 150 clean sheets in the English top flight and ended the 2022/23 campaign with the Golden Glove, keeping 17 clean sheets, more than any other goalkeeper.

Only Ben Foster has made more saves in the Premier League than De Gea’s 1,157. 

Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar moved to Fulham in 2001 and quickly restored his reputation as one of Europe’s most consistent goalkeepers. His 127 appearances for the Cottagers helped the Londoners survive in the Premier League longer than many expected. Brought back to the top by the Red Devils, the Dutchman helped them in reasserting their EPL dominance, winning the title four times among a host of other honours.

David Seaman

David Seaman was an unbelievable goalkeeper and a true gentleman. He helped the Gunners to two Premier League titles during his time between the sticks at Highbury. Sure, Seaman wasn’t the best with the ball at his feet, as was the case for goalkeepers at his time, but his shot-stopping capabilities knew almost no bounds. He kept his back four line always calm and focused, something that happened again only when Petr Cech made the switch to north London from Chelsea.

Petr Cech

No goalkeeper has kept more Premier League clean sheets than Petr Cech (202). His exploits helped Chelsea to four titles between 2004 and 2015. Cech was arguably at the peak of his powers during his first season with the Blues, in 2004/05, breaking the record for most clean sheets in a single season and going 10 consecutive games without conceding a goal. With 443 appearances in the English top flight under his belt, his longevity is mightily impressive.

Peter Schmeichel

Here comes the colossus. The introduction of the back-pass rule undoubtedly highlighted a slight weakness with the ball at Schmeichel’s feet, but the Dane was one of the biggest advocates of the rule change and the way it revolutionised the game. However, this is not the reason why Schmeichel is almost unanimously considered the best to ever defend a post in the EPL. His trademark starfish save had an unbelievable effect on the art of goalkeeping and made it a truly specialised position. He was a key part of five of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Premier League title-winning sides, including the treble-winners of 1999, which is considered one of the best teams ever.

His powerful overarm sling sent Manchester United on their way to many goalscoring counterattacks. Schmeichel didn’t dislike attacking, and he even got himself on the scoresheet during a 3-2 away defeat at Everton, while playing for Aston Villa in 2001. On that day, he became the first Premier League goalkeeper to do so.

A good goalie can be crucial in winning a Premier League title. Check our dedicated page if you would like to know who the main contenders for the EPL in 2025/2026 are.