Quick Reads
Chelsea have not often needed to fear about their goalkeeper within the Premier League, with a collection of dependable No.1s for the reason that flip of the century.
That’s all modified over the previous couple of years, with loads of scrutiny and criticism for the Blues’ newest glovesman. However what about all their different keepers within the Premier League period?
A complete 21 have represented the membership within the league since 1992. Right here’s how we’ve ranked them.
21. Mark Bosnich
The Australian had established himself as a gentle presence between the sticks in his time at Aston Villa through the 90s and loved some success on his return to Manchester United, successful the Premier League title in 2001-02.
However by the point he arrived in west London, he appeared incapable of replicating his finest performances and solely made seven appearances for the Blues. Oh, and his time there resulted in infamy as he was sacked and banned for 9 months after failing a medication check.
20. Gerry Peyton
One of many Irish legends of Italia 90, Gerry Payton’s profession would later nosedive after transferring from Bournemouth from Everton in 1991 – though he was attending to the veteran stage of his profession at that time.
He by no means made a single league look for the Toffees and was loaned away to 4 golf equipment, together with to Chelsea in 1993, the place his solitary second-half look got here in a 2-Zero house defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
19. Nick Colgan
A trailblazer for the Chelsea mortgage military, having spent the overwhelming majority of his six-year stint at Chelsea despatched away on a glamorous tour of England – Crewe, Grimsby, Millwall…
He’d later go on to signify the Republic of Eire, however his time at Chelsea amounted to a single Premier League look – a 3-2 defeat to West Ham.
18. Craig Forrest
The previous Canada worldwide and Ipswich City stalwart, Craig Forrest curiously spent the ultimate few months of his time on the Tractor Boys’ books in a brief mortgage spell at Chelsea.
He made three appearances, beginning with an inauspicious 3-1 defeat to Newcastle however adopted by victories over Leicester (2-1) and Wimbledon (1-0).
17. Lenny Pidgeley
The wonderfully-named academy graduate first broke via in 2003 however had little probability of standard alternatives whereas Carlo Cudicini and latterly Petr Cech have been on the membership.
He made simply two appearances for the membership, on the ultimate days of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 title-winning seasons.
16. Marco Ambrosio
The Italian journeyman not often stayed wherever lengthy, and that proved to be the case after his arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2003, proper initially of the Roman Abramovic period. He was allowed to depart following the arrival of Petr Cech a yr later.
Introduced in by his compatriot Claudio Ranieri, he had a debut to overlook with a few blunders in a 4-2 League Cup victory over Notts County however would later redeem himself with a powerful efficiency at Highbury as Chelsea knocked Arsenal’s Invincibles out of the Champions League.
15. Ross Turnbull
Ross Turnbull bullishly talked up his possibilities of competing with Petr Cech for the No.1 shirt when he signed on a free switch in 2009.
“Understandably it’ll be tough, Petr Cech is likely one of the finest on the earth and it’s not going to be straightforward, but it surely’s as much as me to work and take my probability when it could come alongside,” he instructed Sky Sports.
“Nothing is ever assured, so I see it as a struggle between all three of us and it’s an thrilling problem.”
Evidently, issues didn’t work out that method, and he made a nightmare debut in an error-strewn 4-Zero defeat to Aston Villa, however his honours record will at all times embrace a Champions League medal and you’ll’t take that away from him (even when he didn’t play a single minute).
14. Kepa Arrizabalaga
The one you’ve been ready for.
Even with out his world document for a goalkeeper pricetag, Kepa would have confronted loads of criticism for his performances in a Chelsea shirt.
However given the context of his quite a few howlers and tendency to permit long-range efforts previous him – he recorded the second-worst save share (54.5%) of any Premier League goalkeeper in 2019/20 – and the reported £71.5million Chelsea paid for him, he will certainly go down as one of many worst transfers in Premier League historical past. Except he can swiftly, dramatically enhance.
These trying to defend him may argue his first season confirmed some indicators of promise, as Chelsea gained the Europa League in 2018-19, whereas they’ve nonetheless achieved back-to-back top-four finishes regardless of his shakiness.
Kepa is undoubtedly a extra gifted goalkeeper than many above him on this record, however the likes of Neil Sullivan and Mark Schwarzer did what was anticipated of them as back-ups. Kepa undoubtedly hasn’t accomplished what was anticipated of him.
READ: Chelsea’s most expensive signing for each 2010s season – & how they fared
13. Willy Caballero
An skilled and helpful back-up, the veteran Argentine has usually accomplished what’s been requested of him when referred to as up. However usually not, too.
He’s by no means been fairly convincing sufficient to stake an everyday place forward of an ailing Kepa, whereas solely his Chelsea team-mate and Aston Villa’s Orjan Nyland had a worst save share within the 2019-20 Premier League season.
12. Neil Sullivan
The previous Wimbledon hero arrived at Chelsea for a brief stint in 2003 when the goalkeeping place was notably oversubscribed.
He made eight appearances in whole, 4 within the league, and might need been a helpful back-up to Cudicini had Cech by no means walked via the door. After only one yr he went on to hitch just-relegated Leeds United.
READ: Chelsea & Man City’s crazy summers of 03 & 08: No.3 keepers & rubbish No.9s
11. Mark Schwarzer
Already 40 years previous when he joined Chelsea as a reinforcement in 2013, Schwarzer made an surprising 12 appearances in all competitions, together with 4 within the league, however all of these have been the yr earlier than they breezed to the title below Mourinho in 2014-15.
Nonetheless, a secure pair of palms because the previous cliche goes – and he’d go on to be a part of a title-winning squad for a second successive season after he moved to Leicester in 2015.
10. Asmir Begovic
The Bosnia & Herzegovina worldwide had confirmed himself as a stable Premier League shot-stopper throughout his 5 years at Stoke Metropolis and was a high quality back-up to have behind Thibaut Courtois.
The made 19 Premier League appearances throughout two years, however 17 of these got here through the ‘Mourinho meltdown’ 10th-place end in 2015-16, and solely two through the title-winning marketing campaign of 2016-17. He struggled for alternatives as Courtois continued to make the place his personal below Antonio Conte.
9. Henrique Hilario
A loyal, usually third-choice, servant for eight years, the Portuguese was a useful participant to have and made an important begin by making his debut in a 1-Zero win over reigning European champions Barcelona in 2006.
He stays on the membership at this time, as a part of Frank Lampard’s teaching workers.
8. Dave Beasant
A reliable presence, Beasant remodeled 130 appearances for Chelsea, nearly all of which got here earlier than the Premier League period as they consolidated their place as a top-flight membership once more following their promotion in 1988/89.
He might effectively have gone on to characteristic greater on this record have been it not for that incident with the salad cream.
READ: 17 of the strangest injuries in football: Runaway cow, salad cream, tricycle
7. Frode Grodas
He solely made 21 Premier League appearances for the Blues and by no means convincingly staked a declare for the No.1 shirt – however the skilled Norwegian worldwide had a brief spell between the sticks again within the 1996-97 marketing campaign.
The spotlight of his time in England undoubtedly got here on the previous Wembley as he stored a clear sheet within the FA Cup closing, as Ruud Gullit’s facet ran out 2-Zero winners towards Middlesbrough.
6. Kevin Hitchcock
A stable membership servant and ready deputy, Kevin Hitchcock made 96 league appearances throughout a 13-year spell at Stamford Bridge, having initially signed for the membership again in 1988.
It might need been extra have been it not for damage points.
5. Dmitri Kharine
One of many cult 90s figures of the Premier League, the previous Russia worldwide will fondly be remembered for these jogging pants and making pretty routine stops appear like one thing from Escape To Victory.
You don’t get many Field Workplace goalkeepers, and he wasn’t at all times particularly constant within the Premier League, however Kharine put in some eye-catching performances throughout Chelsea’s Cup Winners Cup runs, and helped give the rebranded prime flight that new, thrilling and unique really feel.
4. Ed de Goey
Finally usurped by Carlo Cudicini and spent his final three years at Stamford Bridge on the periphery, however an asset earlier than then as a dependable pair of palms and common between 1997 and 2000, a interval wherein the Blues gained the FA Cup, League Cup, Cup Winners Cup UEFA Tremendous Cup and Charity Defend. Not dangerous going.
3. Carlo Cudicini
On the periphery throughout his preliminary mortgage from Castel di Sangro, sitting on the bench for the 2000 FA Cup closing, the Italian went on to shine brightly after claiming the spot a short time later.
With a expertise for saving penalties, Cudicini will at all times be affectionately remembered for standing out in a facet that in any other case toiled earlier than Abramovic’s funding, named Chelsea’s participant of the season within the 2001-02 season and the Premier League goalkeeper of the yr in 2002-/03.
It was inevitably going to be a battle to maintain getting probabilities after Petr Cech’s arrival in 2003, however he remained till 2009 as arguably the league’s finest back-up.
This save and response from Carlo Cudicini.
Eccezionale. 🇮🇹 #GKUnion pic.twitter.com/a4ABVZF7hr
— The Goalkeepers’ Union Podcast (@GKUnion) May 23, 2020
2. Thibaut Courtois
So excellent in Atletico Madrid’s against-all-odds title win and run to the Champions League closing in 2013-14, it shortly turned clear that Thibaut Courtois was too good to be simply one other face in Chelsea’s mortgage military, perenially elsewhere.
And so the membership started planning to combine him again into the set-up at Stamford Bridge. It might take one thing particular for the Belgian worldwide to usurp the membership’s all-time finest goalkeeper, however Courtois was ready to take action on his return to his mother or father membership.
He began 32 video games forward of Cech as they gained the Premier League title in 2014-15 and would change into the undisputed No.1, including a second league title in 2016-17, ultimately securing a transfer to Actual Madrid in 2018.
1. Petr Cech
The undisputable alternative, Cech’s time at Chelsea coincides with probably the most profitable interval within the membership’s historical past.
Arguably one of the best goalkeeper on the earth for a interval within the mid-2000s, he was as necessary as John Terry of their superlative defensive document between 2004 and 2006, wherein they conceded simply 15 and 22 targets in back-to-back Premier League title wins.
His Chelsea honours record reads: 4 league titles, 4 FA Cups, three League Cups, the Europa League, and – after all – the Champions League in 2012.
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