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Positional errors cost City; United roam free

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John Brewin profile picture  By John Brewin

David De Gea tops the list as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League

The ESPN FC panel weigh in on Liverpool's 3-1 aggregate victory over Manchester United in the Europa League.
Manuel Pellegrini refused to acknowledge the notion that rivals United are being carried by David De Gea.
The ESPN FC panel answer your tweets on David de Gea's rank among the top EPL players, Real Madrid's UCL chances and more.

With help from ESPN Stats & Information, ESPN FC's John Brewin pores over the numbers to rank the Premier League goalkeepers from No. 1 to the foot of the table.

1. David De Gea | 25 | Manchester United | Spain

His season has perhaps not been as impressive as in 2014-15, when the Spaniard was streets ahead as the best keeper in the business and made himself a Real Madrid target. Yet he remains the best in English football, with Manchester United fans grateful that his move to the Bernabeu broke down at the fax-machine stage in August. United may soon face another fight to keep hold of their only world-class performer, as confirmed by his keeping the score down to 2-0 at Liverpool in the Europa League last week.

2. Petr Cech | 33 | Arsenal | Czech Republic

Arsene Wenger made a single summer signing in 2015 but at least it was the Chelsea legend, whose performances have done much to make his old club regret his sale. Cech has kept the most clean sheets (12) and has the highest save percentage (78.1) of any Premier League goalkeeper. To add to the horrors of Arsenal's FA Cup exit to Watford, and the slide of their title challenge, how keenly might they now feel his current absence with injury?

3. Hugo Lloris | 29 | Tottenham Hotspur | France

Talk to goalkeeping experts and they will tell you that the Frenchman embodies the future of the position. Lloris is not physically imposing, much like many of the best modern continental keepers, but his ball skills convert him into an extra footballer for Tottenham. That he has only allowed one long-range shot to pass him all season shows off his alertness and supreme reflexes.

4. Fraser Forster | 27 | Southampton | England

Six clean sheets in a mere 10 Premier League appearances suggest the power of impact the imposing Englishman has made since recovering from a long-term absence with a broken kneecap. His performances since his January return have pushed him firmly back into the reckoning for England's Euro 2016 squad.

5. Kasper Schmeichel | 29 | Leicester City | Denmark

Schmeichel has collected six of his 10 total clean sheets since the turn of the year. Leicester's title charge is built on a tight defence behind the attacking play of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Only Stoke's Jack Butland has faced more shots than Schmeichel this season, but the Dane is closing in on emulating his five-time Premier League champion father Peter.

David De Gea
David De Gea has backed up his sensational 2014-15 with a sterling 2015-16 for Manchester United.

6. Thibaut Courtois | 23 | Chelsea | Belgium

Cech was traded in so that Courtois could be Chelsea's keeper for the next decade or longer. In truth, though, the second season has not been so happy at a club whose campaign is now all but at an end after exiting the FA Cup at the hands of Everton. Courtois missed almost three months with a knee injury and played his part in his club's revival under interim manager Guus Hiddink, but looks far less imperious than when he was an Atletico Madrid player. Insiders and close observers suggest his bravery against opposing attackers still requires work.

7. Joe Hart | 28 | Manchester City | England

Behind a defence as flaky and vulnerable as Manchester City's has been for much of this season, the 12 clean sheets -- level with Cech having played two fewer matches -- is a more than decent achievement for England's long-time first-choice goalkeeper. In captain Vincent Kompany's frequent absences, Hart takes on a considerable burden of leadership. Errors like the one that allowed Liverpool's Adam Lallana to score on March 2 keep Hart lower down this list.

8. Adrian | 29 | West Ham United | Spain

It reflects the depth of Spanish goalkeeping talent that the Hammers' popular keeper has never played a representative match at any age group for his country, and has never been close, either. Only Cech has a higher save percentage than his 76.1, and penalty saves are a specialty. He saved three in succession last season and outfoxed Romelu Lukaku from 12 yards at Everton in the Hammers' 3-2 comeback win on March 5.

9. Jack Butland | 23| Stoke City | England

Though he is still only just 23, Butland has taken his time to arrive as a Premier League goalkeeper. After four Football League loan spells away from Stoke, he has swiftly made fans forget Asmir Begovic, who was sold to Chelsea last summer. Mark Hughes' team put Butland through his paces; no goalkeeper has faced as many shots as the Englishman's 415. A 73.5 save percentage puts him above De Gea, on 73.0.

10. Lukasz Fabianski | 30 | Swansea City | Poland

The Pole has belied his mixed reputation as an Arsenal keeper, where he had the unfortunate nickname of "Flappyhandski," by being a model of consistency, showing off strong reflexes. He currently leads the league in most crosses claimed (63). The errors have not quite been extinguished, as his three goal-costing errors is joint-most in the league.

Joe Hart
Behind an up-and-down Manchester City defence, Joe Hart has endured a trying 2015-16 campaign.

11. Heurelho Gomes | 35 |Watford | Brazil

Another keeper remembered for mistakes in North London, this time at Spurs, the Brazilian has reminded that he is a goalkeeper of class and not, as Alan Hansen once called him: "The worst goalkeeper I have ever seen." Claiming 55 crosses, only Fabianski has picked out more, while Gomes has earned 10 clean sheets, quite the achievement for someone playing for a newly promoted club.

12. Ben Foster | 32 | West Bromwich Albion | England

Absent with a knee injury until January but now back between the sticks for the Baggies, Foster has turned in a remarkable 79.3 percent save rate since his return. A long-time favourite of England manager Roy Hodgson, Foster still faces a fierce fight to be a part of England's Euro squad with Hart, Butland and Forster around.

13. Artur Boruc | 36 | Bournemouth | Poland

"God's goalkeeper," as he was known by Celtic fans, can veer between brilliance and catastrophe. Boruc has committed three errors that have cost Bournemouth goals, and his save percentage of 63.0 is not particularly strong. He can, however, often be relied upon to pull off seemingly impossible saves and has claimed an impressive 42 crosses, fifth overall in that category.

14. Rob Elliot | 29 | Newcastle United | Republic of Ireland

The Ireland international has had to stand in all season for Tim Krul, another victim of a knee injury, and acquitted himself with credit in a campaign that approaches imminent disaster for Newcastle. Elliot's save percentage ratio of 62.2 is not hugely impressive but then he is rarely offered much protection by an awful defensive unit in front of him. He has most probably been his club's player of the season.

15. Joel Robles | 25 | Everton | Spain

After a couple of years of dissatisfaction with Tim Howard, a vocal majority of Everton fans got their wish when Robles was given the gloves by Roberto Martinez in February. Another off the Spanish conveyor belt, his five matches so far have pushed him beyond a 70 percent save ratio, as he attempts to prove he is the long-term option for a club under new ownership.

Who is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League?

16. Simon Mignolet | 28 | Liverpool | Belgium

It is difficult to think of a goalkeeper more distrusted by his club's fans than the Belgian, whose signing of a new five-year contract in January led to a hail of social media disgust. This stat speaks for itself: his save percentage of 61.2 is worse than any other starting Premier League goalkeeper.

17. Vito Mannone | 28 | Sunderland | Italy

Reports on Wearside claim that Mannone won the battle to be Sunderland's No. 1 now-departed-to-Watford Costel Pantilimon because he was on a much lower wage, though it took the Italian until December to win that starting place from the Romanian. Mannone has played 11 Premier League matches so far, and is yet to keep a clean sheet, though maybe that says more about his teammates than him. Youngster Jordan Pickford, a mainstay of England youth teams, is seen as the long-term option at the Stadium of Light.

18. Wayne Hennessey | 29 | Crystal Palace | Wales

Crystal Palace have had a horrendous 2016 in the Premier League, winning precisely zero matches, and Hennessy became the fall guy when dropped for Alex McCarthy on March 6 against Liverpool. McCarthy suffered disaster for Roberto Firmino's equaliser in a 2-1 loss, but Hennessy already has plenty of previous offences against his name, letting in seven goal from outside his penalty area.

19. John Ruddy | 29 | Norwich City | England

Ruddy has only recently returned to the Norwich lineup after being supplanted by Declan Rudd from November until February. Either way, the near-namesakes have both suffered; Saturday's 0-0 draw with Manchester City made it a mere four clean sheets between them. Only Aston Villa have conceded more goals this season, and only Mignolet and Rudd lie below Ruddy's 61.3 save percentage.

20. Brad Guzan | 31 | Aston Villa | United States

Sympathy must be extended to any goalkeeper who has to play behind Aston Villa's feckless, pathetic slide toward inevitable relegation, but the American has had a poor season. Previously an expert shot-stopper who dealt well with his heavy workload, Guzan has kept just two clean sheets in 22 matches. He lost his place to reserve Mark Bunn for most of February, but no other goalkeeper has conceded as many as the 43 goals he has had to pick out of the net.

John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @JohnBrewinESPN.

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