A good goalkeeper can win games for teams and cover the blushes of a leaking defense while a bad one can dampen the spirit of a performing team. Such has been seen in the English Premier League.
The position is therefore a strategic and important one in the team as the department can be a team’s last result in winning games. Goalkeepers have made last-ditch saves that won trophies and their position can never be shelved aside.
Liverpool is an example of a Champions League winning team that lost the Champions League to Real Madrid due to schoolboy errors committed by Loris Karius. The Reds had to go for Alisson Becker by breaking the bank for the former Roma goalkeeper.
So, whenever the chips are down and defenders lose concentration, the goalies are always on their toes to save the day.
Who are the top 5 flop goalkeepers in Premier League history
Let’s take a look at the most error-prone shot-stoppers of the Premier League era, that has left their team punished and titles slipped from their hands.
Heurelho Gomes
On his day, Gomes can be a team’s saviour. But the Brazilian, who has committed 19 errors leading to goals fall into the category of error-prone goalkeepers.
This is why strikers are always on his neck, knowing fully well that with so much pressure, he is likely to give in.
This also led to his departure from Tottenham Hotspurs, who bought him from PSV Eindhoven in 2008 as a replacement for Paul Robinson.
Gomes was not able to live up to expectation as he struggled during his initial months in the Premier League, producing a series of Jekyll and Hyde performances. Although he also had his moments of brilliance, they got overshadowed by his inexplicable and costly mistakes.
After his foray in Germany with Hoffenheim, Gomes linked up with Watford, helping the Hornets back to the Premier League and established himself as a fans’ favorite at Vicarage Road.
He is expected to retire following Watford’s relegation this season.
Joe Hart
The former England number one showed his mettle while rising from the rank to become the undisputed number one.
But his stock started plummeting in recent seasons. Hart is now a shadow of the player who once enjoyed much success as Manchester City and England.
Although he tried with Burnley after Nick Pope got injured. With four Premier League’s Golden Glove in his locker, Harts’s unwanted 20 errors leading to goal put him amongst the most error-prone goalkeeper’s in the division’s history.
Rob Green
Green, a former England number one is also no stranger from strings of errors.
Although Green had a respectable and lengthy career at the highest level, he recorded 21 errors leading to goals during spells at Norwich, West Ham, and Queens Park Rangers.
Petr Cech
Cech is no doubt one of the greatest goalkeepers to have ever be within the sticks in the Premier League. The Czech proved what he is capable of with a career that spanned almost two decades in the Premier League with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Cech, who wouldn’t give up his playing career after sustaining a head injury that forced him to be using headgear in games won 14 major trophies in England, which include four Premier League titles, a Champions League.
Cech, who is now the technical advisor at Chelsea had a landmark of 202 clean sheets, which is the most in the division’s history, whilst he shares the record for most Premier League Golden Glove awards alongside Joe Hart with four.
Although his mistakes were minimal at the beginning of his career in the English club, his latter years at Arsenal were littered with uncharacteristic mistakes including a league-leading six errors leading to goals during the 2017/18 season, amounting to a total of 24 mistakes leading directly to opposition goals, which is the second-most of any goalkeeper in Premier League history.
Asmir Begovic
The former Chelsea goalie occupies the number one spot with 27 errors leading to goals.
The Bosnian, who had a stellar season with Stoke is also among the most prolific mistake-makers in English football on several occasions throughout the past decade. In 2017/2018 and 2018/19 seasons, he made a huge 10 errors leading to goals while plying his trade with Bournemouth.
