For any team that has an intention of clinching any trophy, or probably wishes to win a Premier League title, having a good goalkeeper is just as important as having a good attack. It is outstanding save from a goalkeeper that could get you off your feet as a fan, to the less impressive but more consistent performances, keeping a clean sheet comes in a variety of ways.
When we made mentioned sensational goalkeepers in the English Premier League, the likes of Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar feature, but the question is; where do they rank in Premier League history?
However, according to the English Premier League history, it has been recorded that Peter Schmeichel was the first goalkeeper to keep 100 clean sheets and Petr Cech is the only player to keep 200. The Chelsea legendary gloveman, Cech also took the fewest games to reach 100 clean sheets, and he holds the record for most clean sheets kept in a single season, with 24. Nevertheless, it will also be good to point out that the record for consecutive clean sheets is held by Edwin van der Sar, who went 14 games without conceding in 2008–09 for Manchester United.
First goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet in EPL
According to the League official site, it has been documented that the first goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League were Tim Flowers and Ian Walker on the opening day of the inaugural season, in a 0–0 draw between Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur; all other goalkeepers conceded that day.
The goalkeeper that keeps the cleanest sheets during the Premier League season is awarded the Premier League Golden Glove award. And it has been said that the first presented in 2004–05, nine goalkeepers have won the award, with Joe Hart and Petr Čech sharing the record for most wins, with four.
List of the top Premier League goalkeepers with the most clean sheets of all time.
Petr Cech – 202
Chelsea handed over seven million pounds for a goalkeeper who had played just over 50 games in Ligue 1 for Rennes, a few eyebrows were raised. Especially as Manchester United had paid just £800,000 more four years previously to secure the services of World Cup and European Championship winner Fabien Barthez. But while the Frenchman would only keep 30 clean sheets for the Red Devils, Petr Cech would go on to set the record for the most in Premier League history.
The former Czechs international, Petr Cech is the only goalkeeper in Premier League history with over 200 clean sheets is a testament to just how good a player he was.
Chelsea’s official site has it that Petr Cech’s his first season with Chelsea, 04/05, Cech kept an incredible 24 clean sheets in 35 Premier League games. He still managed to keep 18, 19, and 17 clean sheets in other seasons at Stamford Bridge.
When Petr Cech left Chelsea, he was consistent, keeping double figures in clean sheets in three seasons at Arsenal. Behold it will take an amazing goalkeeper to even come close to Cech’s clean sheet record.
David James – 169
David James is one of the goalkeepers that kept clean sheets for five different Premier League sides. As a matter of fact, James was a very consistent performer in the Premier League. He recorded 17 clean sheets in season 94/95 and managed 16 over 10 years later in season 07/08. From his career statistics, one could easily say that James’ best spell was at Liverpool, where he kept double figures in clean sheets in five seasons, he managed double figures in two seasons at Aston Villa and Portsmouth.
However, let’s take a look at the list of the English Premier League Goalkeepers With the Most Clean Sheets Of All Time
| Rank | Player | Clean sheets |
Apps | Percent | Club(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petr Čech | 202 | 443 | 45.60% | Chelsea (162), Arsenal (40) | [6] |
| 2 | David James | 169 | 572 | 29.55% | Liverpool (72), Portsmouth ( |
[7] |
| 3 | Mark Schwarzer | 151 | 514 | 29.38% | Middlesbrough (92), Fulham ( |
[8] |
| 4 | David Seaman | 141 | 344 | 40.99% | Arsenal (138), Manchester City (3) | [9] |
| 5 | Nigel Martyn | 137 | 372 | 36.83% | Leeds United (82), Everton (30), |
[10] |
| 6 | Pepe Reina | 136 | 297 | 45.79% | Liverpool (134), Aston Villa (2) | [11] |
| 7 | Edwin van der Sar | 132 | 313 | 42.17% | Manchester United (90), Fulham (42) | [12] |
| Tim Howard | 132 | 399 | 33.08% | Everton (116), Manchester United (16) | [13] | |
| Brad Friedel | 132 | 450 | 29.33% | Blackburn Rovers (77), Aston Villa (35), Tottenham Hotspur (14), Liverpool (6) | [14] | |
| 10 | David de Gea | 130 | 377 | 34.48% | Manchester United (130) | [15] |
| 11 | Peter Schmeichel | 128 | 310 | 41.29% | Manchester United (112), Manchester City (9), Aston Villa (7) | [16] |
| 12 | Joe Hart | 127 | 340 | 37.35% | Manchester City (109), Birmingham City (10), West Ham United (4), Burnley (4) | [17] |
| 13 | Hugo Lloris | 119 | 335 | 35.52% | Tottenham Hotspur (118) | [18] |
| 14 | Shay Given | 113 | 451 | 25.06% | Newcastle United (89), Manchester City (14), Aston Villa (9), Blackburn Rovers (1), Stoke City (0) | [19] |
| 15 | Jussi Jääskeläinen | 108 | 436 | 24.77% | Bolton Wanderers (89), West Ham United (19) | [20] |
| 16 | Thomas Sørensen | 107 | 364 | 29.40% | Aston Villa (46), Sunderland (35), |
[21] |
The above table we present helps show the English Premier League Goalkeepers With the Most Clean Sheets Of All Time. In the table, the names that are italicized are the name of goalkeepers who are still playing for different clubs. (Not retired yet)