Cech voted best Barclays Premier League goalkeeper

Premierleague.com readers vote for Petr Cech, with Peter Schmeichel in second

A review of six of the best No 1s to have played in the Barclays Premier League.

Premierleague.com readers have voted Chelsea's Petr Cech as the best goalkeeper to have played in the Barclays Premier League.

Over 3,000 votes were cast and on the back of reaching 150 League clean sheets after Chelsea's 2-0 win at Hull City on Saturday, Cech ended up as the winner with 46% of the votes. Former Manchester United goalies Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar were in second and third while David Seaman finished ahead of David James to claim fourth. Do you agree? We have left all the relevant stats and information below for you to look through and make up your mind.

Clean sheets

David James, the former England goalkeeper, played for five different teams in the Barclays Premier League during his long career and still holds the record for the number of clean sheets, with 169. But Petr Cech, who joined Chelsea in 2004, has reached the 150 mark a lot sooner, having competed in far fewer matches in his career to date. His Stamford Bridge team-mate Mark Schwarzer is only two behind and former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman was was not far off either.

Player	Matches played	Clean sheets*
David James	572	169
Petr Cech	313	150
Mark Schwarzer	504	148
David Seaman	344	142
Nigel Martyn	372	138
José Reina	285	134
Brad Friedel	450	132
Edwin van der Sar	313	132
Tim Howard	325	112
Shay Given	440	112
Jussi Jääskeläinen	435	108
Thomas Sørensen	363	107

Save percentage

Cech has the highest save percentage in history of the Barclays Premier League, leading Tottenham Hostpur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and Manchester City's Joe Hart.

Player	Saves	Matches played	Clean sheets	Save %
Petr Cech	747	313	150	75.98
Heurelho Gomes	324	95	31	75.35
Joe Hart	620	214	82	73.8
Marcus Hahnemann	469	115	28	73.78
Jens Lehmann	345	148	54	73.18
Tim Howard	901	325	112	73.14

More records

Legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, later of Aston Villa and Manchester City, was the first player to reach 100 clean sheets in the Barclays Premier League and ended his career with 129. One of the next to fill his boots at Old Trafford, Edwin van der Sar, holds the record for the longest run of consecutive clean sheets. The Dutchman went 14 matches without conceding a goal for Manchester United in 2008/09, breaking Cech's record of 10 consecutive clean sheets during his debut season in 2004/05.

Player	Matches	Team	Date
Edwin van der Sar	14	Manchester United	Nov 2008 – Feb 2009
Petr Cech	10	Chelsea	Nov 2004 – Mar 2005
Jose Reina	8	Liverpool	Oct 2005 – Dec 2005
Neville Southall	7	Everton	Nov 1994 – Dec 1994

The vote

We have compiled a list of five goalkeepers listed below, but who gets your vote? Remember to watch the video with highlights from each player's career and vote for your person of choice on the homepage by scrolling down to the poll.

David Seaman

Team	Matches played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Arsenal	325	267	137
Manchester City	19	24	3
Overall	344	291	140

David James

Team	Matches played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Liverpool	214	217	72
Aston Villa	67	69	20
West Ham United	64	91	18
Manchester City	93	109	20
Portsmouth	134	179	39
Overall	572	665	169

Brad Friedel

Team	Matches played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Liverpool	25	32	6
Blackburn Rovers	261	331	77
Aston Villa	114	145	35
Tottenham Hotspur	50	59	14
Overall	450	567	132

Petr Cech

Team	Games played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Chelsea	313	234	150
Overall	313	234	150

Edwin van der Sar

Team	Games played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Fulham	127	162	42
Manchester United	186	142	90
Overall	313	304	132

Peter Schmeichel

Team	Games played	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Manchester United	252	212	112
Aston Villa	29	37	7
Manchester City	29	38	9
Overall	310	287	128

*Clean sheets only counted where the goalkeeper has played the entire match.

Share this page

 269 2747

 

PrintShare

Man Utd must look to wing it against Chelsea

Chelsea's last encounter with Manchester United was a cagey affair, with both managers adopting a safety-first approach in the August sunshine. This time around, with the Blues chasing top spot and David Moyes' men eager to make up lost ground, the stage is set for an exciting contest.

Here, Adrian Clarke discusses what to look out for tactically ahead of the big match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Similar shapes, different attacks

You could easily describe one system as 4-2-3-1 and the other as a 4-4-1-1, but essentially Chelsea and Manchester United operate with virtually identical formations. Jose Mourinho's surprise deployment of a strikerless 4-2-4-0 for Chelsea against United this season is not likely to be repeated.

As seen in Picture 1 above, it is Chelsea who have greater flexibility and more fluid movement in the all-important region behind the main striker. There, Oscar, Eden Hazard and Willian interchange frequently, with each other or with the full backs and midfielders who make runs from deep. Flitting around, floating into holes, United's two defensive midfielders and full-backs will need great concentration to keep tabs on them.

Moyes' approach is more rigid, with just Adnan Januzaj and Wayne Rooney likely to take up unusual positions as a matter of course. However, they do use the width of the pitch better than Chelsea, so watch out for full-backs Rafael and Patrice Evra trying to double up in those areas as often as they can.

On their travels United average 22 crosses a match, the second highest in the Barclays Premier League, while 12 teams deliver more often on their home patch from wide areas than Chelsea do at Stamford Bridge - eg, they are the 13th most prolific crossers at home in the division. These two teams may be similar but their chosen route to goal often differs in style.

Central solidity

Without the ball Chelsea are the more stable unit. Only Southampton have conceded fewer chances on their home patch in the Barclays Premier League this term. Since leaking three against Stoke City in early December, Mourinho has prioritised the importance of retaining a defensive platform and his players have responded with outstanding discipline. Conceding three goals in nine matches in all competitions, that run has also included six clean sheets.

As well as trying to keep six defensive players behind the ball at all times - including David Luiz as a holding midfielder of late, and possibly new signing Nemanja Matic in that position this weekend - Mourinho's ever-growing faith in the Gary Cahill-John Terry partnership at the back has also borne fruit. When playing together this season the Englishmen have an outstanding record.

TABLE 1: CHELSEA 2013/14 (ALL COMPETITIONS)
	P	W	D	L	Conceded	Clean sheets	Av goals conceded
Terry & Cahill	17	13	3	1	12	10	0.7
Other partnerships	15	9	2	4	13	6	0.86

Solidity is not a word you would associate with United this season. On occasion huge spaces have been left wide open for opponents to break through the centre of midfield and this has left their defenders stretched and exposed. This is nicely illustrated in Picture 2 above, as we recall Christian Eriksen's winner at Old Trafford on New Year's Day.

While Michael Carrick is superb on the ball, and the second best 'intercepter' in the division with 3.3 interceptions per match, they lack a physical presence to cover for their attack-minded pressing game. This season that has put tremendous pressure on the back four.

David Moyes is also still searching for his favoured central-defensive partnership, a decision not aided by a string of injuries. Since the start of December the Scot has used five different partnerships in the heart of his defence, which could explain why they have looked so fragile at times.

TABLE 2: MAN UTD SINCE 1 DECEMBER
Centre-back partnerships	P	W	D	L	Conceded	Clean sheets	Av goals conceded
Evans & Smalling	2	1	1	0	4	0	2
Evans & Jones	4	3	0	1	2	2	0.5
Evans & Ferdinand	2	1	0	1	2	1	1
Evans & Vidic	3	1	0	2	4	1	1.33
Vidic & Smalling	2	1	0	1	1	1	0.5

The wing to watch

Rafael Da Silva and Antonio Valencia love playing together on the right of United's team. Both are hardworking and responsible without the ball and they also inject pace and energy to the side's attacks when the Reds push forward, combining nicely.

With Adnan Januzaj, Ashley Young, and on occasion Danny Welbeck playing on the left of midfield there is a tendency for United to be drawn inside and towards their right, where there a little more natural width. In fact 43% of their attacks and 23% of their shots away from home come from that side of the field. By comparison the left boasts just 32% and 12% in those respective areas.

While Chelsea mix up the origin of their attacks in a more balanced way, they too favour one particular side when it comes to shooting, their left. Boosted by the form of Cesar Azpilicueta, Ashley Cole and Eden Hazard ( who has nine goals and five assists this season), 22% of their shots stem from that side, compared with 13% from the left.

In the corresponding fixture last season, as shown in Picture 3, United clearly favoured the right, while Ashley Cole pushed on throughout to support Hazard at the other end of the pitch for Chelsea (see Picture 4). Expect more of the same in this part of the pitch on Sunday. The pair who win this important battleground at Stamford Bridge could hold the key to where the points end up.

Prediction

Safe in the knowledge that Jose Mourinho has never lost a Barclays Premier League match at Stamford Bridge it is easy to make a case for Chelsea but they are worthy favourites.

Possession-wise I can see this being an evenly contested affair. Both teams have an array of possible match-winners, and from set plays the two sides will each pose a significant threat.

However, with a touch more unpredictability about their attacking play, and a significantly stronger defensive spine, I am edging towards a 1-0 or 2-1 victory for Mourinho's men.

Transfer news: Chelsea 'have contacted' St Etienne defender Kurt Zouma

In-demand St Etienne defender Kurt Zouma claims he has been contacted by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

The 19-year-old centre-half has long been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, and the Blues appear to have stepped up their chase.

Zouma is not expected to be on the move in January, but claims to have an agreement with his current employers which will allow him to take on a new challenge in the summer.

It could be that he heads for England, with the youngster admitting that he would jump at the chance to join a Premier League heavyweight.

He told L'Equipe on the Chelsea links: "A phone call from Mourinho? It is true, there was contact a month ago.

"At first I thought it was a joke. When a great man like Jose Mourinho contacts a small player like Kurt Zouma, that offers great pride.

"If I was told to join Chelsea, I would go immediately. It will be down to the coach, though, to make the call."

Zouma, who has also been heavily linked with Serie A giants Inter Milan, added: "In Italy it is much more tactical. That helps you to improve a lot. In England it is much more physical.

"But I won't necessarily make a decision based on the league. It will depend on how much I will play, the coach and the group. I will take my time.

"I want a change. That is the agreement we have. I am playing my third season in Ligue 1 and it is the right time to go somewhere else.

"Going abroad will be make or break, but that is a risk worth taking."

Arsene Wenger backs Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott to bounce back

Arsene Wenger is confident Theo Walcott will make a full recovery from his serious knee injury and come back firing on all cylinders for Arsenal next season.

Walcott faces six months out and will miss the World Cup after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in Arsenal's FA Cup third-round victory over north London rivals Tottenham earlier this month.

Wenger revealed the 24-year-old is progressing well since having surgery on his knee last Saturday, insisting he was optimistic that Walcott would be back at his best for club and country next season.

"The damage was real in the knee so he will have to take the needed time, so let's not be hopeful that he will go to the World Cup - that is not possible, but overall his long-term future is very positive," Wenger told Arsenal Player.

"It is about being fit for next season now."

Wenger has a number of injury concerns ahead of Saturday's visit of Premier League strugglers Fulham.

Nacho Monreal is a doubt after twisting a ligament in his foot during Monday night's win against Aston Villa, while Thomas Rosicky's participation is questionable after breaking his nose during the game.

Striker Nicklas Bendtner is still nursing an ankle injury and Thomas Vermaelen remains sidelined, along with midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey.

But the Arsenal manager has been boosted by the return to fitness of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Lukas Podolski.

He believes he has sufficient depth in his squad - particularly in midfield - to continue the form that has seen them stay top of the Premier League past the halfway stage of the season.

"In midfield we have plenty of quality players who you can rotate easily without really feeling, 'today we are weaker'," Wenger said.

"We have fantastic players in midfield and it always allows us to keep what we call the 'engine' of the team fresh.

"It is a real team effort. Maybe because every player in his position has a strong personality as well - you have that feeling.

"I would say purely on the football front it's true that we only have excellent players in every position and that allows you to have different types of teams that can really be efficient."

Transfer news: Chelsea Hazard chasing Anderlecht deal

 Thorgan Hazard has expressed a desire to cut short his loan at Zulte-Waregem and link up with Anderlecht.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Hazard is wanted by the reigning Belgian champions on a deal until the end of the 2013/14 campaign.

In order for such a move to be made, Zulte would have to agree to the cancellation of their season-long agreement with Chelsea.

They have given no indication that they are willing to do that, with club boss Francky Dury adamant that Hazard is going nowhere.

The 20-year-old midfielder has, however, looked to take matters into his own hands and force the issue.

Hazard - the younger brother of Chelsea playmaker Eden - is keen to step up a level and believes a spell at Anderlecht would be of greater benefit to his ongoing development.

He told reporters in Belgium: "Yes, I want to go to Anderlecht.

"I've just spoken with the manager and I've told him that it's time to move on.

"I'm grateful for what the club have done for me, I've had a great time, but lots of players have left and I don't know if I can achieve what I want.

"I don't know if the cup game against Cercle Brugge was my last one, that depends on negotiations between the clubs."

Transfer news: Norwich boss insists Villa target Wes Hoolahan is going nowhere

Chris Hughton has insisted Wes Hoolahan is going nowhere after Paul Lambert revealed his admiration for the midfielder.

Lambert is keen to add some midfield creativity to his Aston Villa squad and recently said of Hoolahan: "When I was the manager of Norwich, he was fantastic, he really was - a big, big player.

"He was excellent. But he is Norwich's player, so there is no point in talking about him. I won't disrespect anybody on that front."

The Villa boss added former Canaries striker Grant Holt to his ranks on Wednesday, landing the Wigan forward on loan for the rest of the season.

But Hughton insists Hoolahan will not be Midlands-bound in this month's transfer window, when Norwich are trying to strengthen - not weaken - their playing staff.

Villa are reported to have offered £750,000 up front or the option of two instalments rising to a potential £1m for the Republic of Ireland international, who was an unused substitute in the midweek FA Cup defeat at Fulham.

Hughton has added competition to his midfield ranks following this week's capture of Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez on loan.

"We've had a few injuries, especially in midfield, and then Michael Turner will be out for a while as well.

"We are trying as hard as we can (to sign players) the same as everybody else, but January is a notoriously bad time to bring in players because they also have to be right for the club."

Jose delighted with Matic deal

Jose Mourinho feels he has brought a much-improved player back to Chelsea after completing the signing of Nemanja Matic.

The Serbia midfielder, who left Stamford Bridge as part of the deal which saw David Luiz move to west London from Benfica three years ago, is now back with the Blues in a deal reported by the Portuguese club to be worth 25million euros (£20.75million).

He will compete with a host of top-class midfielders for a place in Mourinho's side but the manager is delighted to welcome him back.

"I am very pleased that Nemanja is returning to Chelsea," said Mourinho.

"He has grown as a player in Portugal and has become a fantastic all-round midfielder. I am sure he will become a very important member of the squad and help us to achieve our ambitions."

The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact during his first spell at the club, spending a season on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem before heading to Portugal.

And he will be up against Ramires, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Luiz and Michael Essien for the "holding" midfield places in Mourinho's squad, while Marco van Ginkel is working his way back from a long-term injury.

There is a similar embarrassment of riches in the attacking midfield department, with two-time club player of the year Juan Mata unable to command a place and Kevin de Bruyne seemingly Wolfsburg-bound as Mourinho favours Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian.

Matic first came to prominence during his time at MSK Kosice and was signed by then-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti as a promising youngster.

Although his career did not take off, Matic impressed during his time at Benfica and played in the Portuguese side's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League final last season. He has won nine caps for his country.

He is ready to grasp his second chance at Stamford Bridge and told chelseafc.com: "I am very happy for this opportunity to be back at this club.

"I feel very good because of that and just want to say I will give my best to help the team and make the Chelsea fans happy."

Transfer news: Nicklas Helenius happy at Aston Villa but could leave on loan

Aston Villa striker Nicklas Helenius' agent claims his client is happy in the Premier League but could make a loan switch.

The Denmark international only moved to Villa Park last summer, with Paul Lambert snapping him up from Aalborg.

The 22-year-old has seen first team opportunities limited, with Christian Benteke currently Villa's favoured option to lead their line.

Helenius accepts that he is still finding his feet in new surroundings and is prepared to be patient.

It is, however, possible that Villa could send him out on a short-term loan in order to get regular game time elsewhere.

Helenius' representative Mads Buch told Ekstra Bladet: "Nicklas is happy at Aston Villa.

"It's clear that they won't sell him now. They have said that they believe in him.

"If anything is going to happen then a loan deal is most likely. It is now a question of where Villa want him to develop, at the club or at a lower level.

"He is happy but this is about him being a part of the plans for the remainder of the season. If he's not in the match squad then it makes sense to give him games at a lower level."

Formula 1: Ecclestone to face Germany bribery charges

Ecclestone insists he was the victim of blackmail

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Ecclestone steps down from F1 board
• Bernie Ecclestone - the man, the myths and the motors
• Ecclestone faces inquiry call

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone will be tried on bribery charges, a court in the German city of Munich has ruled.

Mr Ecclestone is accused of giving a $45m (£27.5m; 33m euros) bribe to a German banker who is serving a jail sentence for receiving the payment.

Prosecutors allege that the payment was to ensure that F1 was sold to a private equity group of Mr Ecclestone's choice.

He admits paying Gerhard Gribkowsky, but denies bribery, saying he was effectively the victim of blackmail.

Mr Ecclestone has been defending himself in a separate £90m ($147m) civil claim in London's High Court.

That case was brought by a German media company, Constantin Medien, which claims it lost out financially when the share of F1 belonging to German bank Bayern Landesbank was sold in 2006 to private equity group CVC.

Continue reading the main story

Profile

Full name: Bernard Charles Ecclestone

Born: 28 October 1930, St Peters, Suffolk, Great Britain

Net worth: US$3.8bn (£2.5bn)

• Ecclestone - the man, the myths and the motors

Mr Ecclestone and Gribkowsky, who was on the board of Bayern Landesbank, were accused in court of conspiring to deliberately undervalue F1 when it was sold, in order that Mr Ecclestone would retain control of the sport.

The 83-year-old F1 boss has said that he made the payment because the banker had been threatening to reveal false details of his tax affairs.

'Consultancy contracts'

A statement from Bavaria's district court said that a date for the criminal trial had not yet been set, but that proceedings were likely to begin in late April.

Mr Ecclestone is charged with bribery and incitement to breach of trust and will be obliged to appear at his trial.

The court statement says that the payments made to Gribkowsky were dressed up as consultancy contracts, and that both their source and their destination were obscured using corporate structures.

The payments were made between July 2006 and December 2007, it says.

Mr Ecclestone's German lawyer said on Thursday that the alleged bribery never took place.

The chief executive of F1 has ruled the sport for almost four decades. He is the long-time commercial rights holder of F1, but sold off a majority of the ownership in the 1990s.

Bernie Ecclestone appeared as a witness at Gerhard Gribkowsky's trial in Munich in 2011

In an interview with German financial newspaper Handelsblatt (in German), published on Thursday before the confirmation of his upcoming trial, Mr Ecclestone said he wanted to clear his name, which is why he had not reached an out-of-court settlement with either Constantin Medien or Bayern Landesbank.

He said it would have been better not to have made the payment to Gribkowsky, even if the banker had then triggered an investigation by the British tax authorities.

Asked if he would step down if the High Court judgement in the Constantin civil case went against him, he said there was absolutely no need for that.

Australian Open - 'Paranoid' Serena survives heat to advance in Melbourne

Women's round-up

All the latest updates from the women's draw at the Australian Open.

The thought of playing a long match in the extreme Melbourne heat resulted in a sleepless night for Serena Williams, but the world number one need not have worried as she strode swiftly into the Australian Open third round.

The American, trying to win the title for a sixth time, dispatchedVesna Dolonc of Serbia 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour on Rod Laver Arena before scurrying back to the cool sanctuary of the locker room.

"I kept waking up in the middle of the night last night, just paranoid,"Williams said of her disrupted sleep.

"I just wanted to stay hydrated. The last thing I want to do is to cramp in this weather. It can happen so easy. I was just drinking a tremendous amount of water."

With temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for a second successive day, Williams was never troubled by the world number 104 and cruised to victory.

On Tuesday, defending champion Victoria Azarenka said being on court was like "dancing in a frying pan", while Canada's Frank Dancevic slammed organisers for forcing players to compete in inhumane conditions after losing his first round match.

Williams said she tried not to change her game-plan because of the conditions and said the weather was just about bearable.

"I think I probably feel it more in my head, not necessarily in my chest," she said of the heat. "But so far I have been OK.

"I have been training for a long, long time in the heat in Florida and I have been coming to Melbourne for years and years.

"So you just have to be ready for those hot conditions and just try to get through it.

"I think the conditions today in my match was OK. I wasn't here yesterday. I heard they were a little bit extreme (but) I didn't really even go outside yesterday. For my match today, it was OK to play."

The victory was her 60th in the main draw at the tournament, which tied her with Australian Margaret Court for the most wins in the event's Open era.

Williams, who now plays either 31st seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or Czech Karolina Pliskova, said the heat can affect players differently on any given day.

"That definitely can be true, she said. "I'm not sure.

Sometimes my body just says 'no' to hot weather. Sometimes I have no reaction.

"I'm just happy that I was able to play today before it got super hot and it felt really good."

Bird poos on court during Serena's match