Between the sticks: Who will emerge as this season’s Golden Glove winner?

The Premier League acknowledges and honours the goalkeepers who have achieved the highest number of clean sheets each season through the presentation of the Golden Glove award. 

The award's inception occurred in the 2004/05 season, and the inaugural winner was Petr Cech, who set a remarkable record of 24 clean sheets while playing for Chelsea. In the event that multiple goalkeepers achieve the same number of clean sheets, the award is shared among them. However, prior to the 2013/14 season, the award recipient was determined by the goalkeeper with the highest clean-sheet ratio in relation to matches played. 

The most recent recipient of this esteemed award is David De Gea, who kept an impressive 16 clean sheets for Manchester United during the 2022/23 season.

With the 2023/24 Premier League season well underway, we’re shining a light on the early Golden Glove contenders, an awards category often overlooked by football fans due to the excitement and allure surrounding the league’s leading goal scorers who’re challenging for the Golden Boot.  

Golden Glove: Recent History 

In the 20/21 and 21/22 seasons, Ederson emerged as the goalkeeper with the highest number of clean sheets as Man City clinched the EPL title. In those respective seasons, he kept 19 and 20 clean sheets. 

Since the Golden Glove Award's inception in 04/05, the recipient has also won the title on seven occasions. Petr Cech achieved this feat twice in the 04/05 and 09/10 seasons. Cech won the award x4, sharing this feat with Joe Hart. 

Other goalkeepers who have won the award multiple times include Ederson and Pepe Reina (both x3) and Alisson and David de Gea (both x2). Edwin van der Sar, Thibaut Courtois, and Wojciech Szczesny have each won the award once. 

Despite enduring a challenging season with Manchester United, De Gea secured the Golden Glove last year by keeping seventeen clean sheets. However, his departure from the club means he will not have the opportunity to defend his title this season. As a result, the question arises as to whether a new shot stopper will grace the trophy? 

Most Dominant EPL Golden Glove Winners 

In the current 2023/24 campaign, Sam Johnstone has emerged as the frontrunner with four clean sheets after eight games. This begs the question: Which other goalkeepers are vying for the accolade early on? 

Golden Glove Standings 2023/24 

Statistics as of 17/10/2023.

Ederson, Alisson, and Arsenal's recent acquisition, David Raya, will compete for the prestigious Golden Glove award. But how are the expert-recommended sportsbooks for 2023 viewing this season’s top-performing goalkeepers in terms of odds for the 2023-24 Premier League season Golden Glove race thus far? 

Golden Glove Odds 2023/24 

A Brick Wall: Ederson 

Ederson, the goalkeeper for Manchester City, and Alisson Becker, the goalkeeper for Liverpool, were both awarded the Premier League Golden Glove in the 2021-22 season for achieving 20 clean sheets each. It is worth noting that Ederson previously won the award in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, while Alisson received it in the 2018-19 campaign.

The Brazilian goalkeeper joined the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2017 and has since established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the world. During his outstanding debut season in England, Ederson achieved 16 clean sheets in the Premier League, contributing to City's historic achievement of recording 100 points and winning the title. 

He continued his impressive performance in the following seasons, winning the prestigious Golden Glove award three times consecutively. In the 2019/20 season, he secured 16 shutouts; in the subsequent season, he achieved 19, aiding City in reclaiming the title. 

Ederson has earned a remarkable 14 major honours throughout his time with the club and has represented his country 23 times.

• During the 2020-2021 Premier League campaign, Ederson showcased his exceptional skills as a goalkeeper. He achieved the remarkable feat of completing the most precise long passes by any goalkeeper, totalling 273. 

• Among all currently active Premier League goalkeepers, Ederson boasts the highest save percentage, which stands at an impressive 76.00%. 

• Ederson has etched his name in the Premier League history books by achieving the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in a single season. He managed to keep his goal untouched for an impressive streak of 10 matches.

Conclusion

While it’s difficult to give such an early prediction on this season’s Golden Glove winner, going against the bookmaker's favourite is just as tough. Tottenham and Arsenal are positioned in the first and second position of the table, but the Citizens still possess the joint-best goals-against record (6) through the first eight weeks of action. 

Spurs, Arsenal, or even Liverpool are prime contenders to challenge Manchester City’s title defence. However, obtaining more clean sheets and taking the Golden Glove from Ederson may be an entirely different obstacle to overcome.