Man United stopper tops best 5 Premier League saves
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With the World Cup over the countdown for the 21st Premier League season begins in earnest with 7/4 favourites Manchester City looking to defend their crown.
Chelsea (15/8) and Manchester United (5/1) are favourites to pip the Citizens to the title and all three teams will be counting on world class keepers for their title challenge.
The players in between the sticks are often the forgotten men of football but as the following list shows they are capable of greatness and can prove the difference between victory and defeat.
Here Ladbrokes News lists the best five saves from the first 20 years of Premier League action.
Carlo Cudicini v Tottenham – 2007/08
Top boy at Chelsea before the arrival of Petr Cech, the Italian played over 140 times for the Blues and can count himself unlucky not to have been a first choice stopper for more of his Premier League career.
As this stunning one hand save from then-Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov proves Cudicini was too good to spend his last years languishing on the Spurs bench and being dumped by MLS outfit LA Galaxy!
Craig Gordon v Bolton – 2010/11
A record transfer for a keeper at the time, Gordon’s £9m move to Sunderland raised more than few eyebrows. The Scot ultimately failed to live up to hype due to injury but showed what Roy Keane saw in him with this wonder stop against Wanderers.
Tomasz Kuszczak v Wigan – 2005/06
Kuszczak was never able to cement himself as long-term number one at Old Trafford but showed plenty of glimpses of why Sir Alex Ferguson was willing to give him a chance. One such example, perhaps what inspired Fergie’s faith, was this brave flying save against the Latics.
Jussi Jaaskelainen v Man United – 2001/02
One of the most under-rated keepers in the league, Jaaskelainen’s save is similar to Kuszczak’s but ranks higher for being a double save. The Finn’s stop also came with the score at 1-1 and the Trotters went on to win 2-1.
David De Gea v Chelsea – 2012/13
The Spaniard was derided as a waste of money after an iffy start at United and this match was arguably the turning point in his Old Trafford career. United fought from 3-0 to restore parity at Stamford Bridge but the Blues’ Juan Mata thought he’d won it at the death – until …
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