Matz Sels’ Quest for the Golden Glove

Nottingham Forest have been the surprise package in the Premier League this season. They sit 3rd in the table and are on course to qualify for the Champions League and their defensive solidity has been a huge part of their success. 

Nuno Espirito Santo has gone against the grain in terms of playing style. His team show little desire to press high up the pitch and it has worked to devastating effect. Matz Selz had reaped the rewards in terms of clean sheets.  

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Sels is Thriving Under Nuno

Nottingham Forest, along with Liverpool, have kept 12 clean sheets in the Premier League. The team’s respective approaches to defending couldn’t be more different. Nuno’s team have kept the least possession in the division with an average of 39.4%. Forest also have the highest PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action) in England’s top flight with an average of 15.01, indicating that they are more than happy to allow their opponents to knock the ball around. Liverpool, on the other hand, have the fourth highest average possession and PPDA.

Matz Sels has been in goal for all of his team’s, while Alisson’s spell on the sidelines means he has eight clean sheets. Their experiences in the net have also been vastly different. Liverpool are conceding the fewest shots in the league with an average of 9.69 per game. Only five teams have conceded more shots than Forest’s average of 13.64 per match. Sels is also far less aggressive. He isn’t required to come out and sweep up due to his team’s deeper defensive line, but Nuno has certainly found a winning formula. 

Sels has also been a lot busier than the other keepers for the teams around Forest in the table. He has made 87 saves in the Premier League, only Mark Flekken and Aaron Ramsdale have made more. The Belgian has a save percentage of 74.2%, the fifth-best in the division, but he has played at least six more matches than three of the four keepers above him. Matz Sels also ranks second for goals prevented with 3.7. Guiglielmo Vicario leads the way with 4.9.

Forest face four of the five lowest scoring teams in the Premier League in their remaining fixtures, meaning Sels has a great opportunity to fend off his rivals and win the Golden Glove. They face Ipswich this weekend, a team that Matz has already kept out this season. The keeper will certainly be full of confidence having prevented Manchester City from scoring in Forest’s last outing. 

The Other Contenders

David Raya 

Arsenal’s David Raya ranks second for clean sheets and he has the best chance of catching Sels. The Gunners boasted the best defensive record in the Premier League last season and are on course to do that once again. They have conceded an average of 0.86 goals, 0.32 fewer than Nottingham Forest. Raya has also faced the fewest shots on target in the division with an average of 3.32 per game. Despite this, he has still managed to have a higher save percentage than Sels with 74.2%. The Spanish keeper is the second favourite to win the Golden Glove having amassed a total of 10 clean sheets thus far. 

Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford has been a stalwart in this Everton team for quite some time. The England number one has been a key part in keeping the team in the top flight in recent years but things are looking up under David Moyes. Pickford has kept three clean sheets in the Premier League since the managerial change. BETSiE also indicates that he is the most likely keeper to keep a clean sheet this weekend, projecting just 0.94 goals for West Ham.

Alisson Becker

Alisson remains the gold standard in goalkeeping. His display in Paris as Liverpool beat PSG 1-0 showcased his abilities as he made nine saves. The Brazilian also made seven saves as Les Parisiens beat the Reds at Anfield in the return leg. Alisson would also have 12 clean sheets to his name if it wasn’t for an injury he picked up earlier in the season. He has made 46 saves in the Premier League to date. Liverpool look set to win the title but it would take a massive turnaround for Alisson to overtake his rivals in the race for the Golden Glove. 

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