Identifying The Best FPL Goalkeeper for the 2021/22 FPL Season

This is the 2^nd article of our two-part value GK analysis. You can go through our 1^st part here where we discuss the essentials of how to select the ideal GK for your FPL team. We discuss all the probable GK candidates (4.5m – 5m) capable of dethroning Martinez from the FPL Goalkeeper king status. Last season’s GK favorites have all had price rises, hence we are again back to square one to determine who could help us lead our team from the back!

Let’s look at the 4.5m keepers first and then onto the 5m keepers who are worthy of our consideration. After each GK review, I have also suggested the risk worthiness of each keeper on whether we need to have them from our GW1 squads or remain as ‘wait & see’ options based on various reasons mentioned.

Check out our FPL GoalKeepers for 2021/22 FPL season, Hunt For The Next Martinez: Ideal FPL Goalkeeper 2021/22 season. Here is also a link to all our FPL Goalkeepers and FPL position-wise player analysis blogs.

The 4.5m FPL Goalkeeper options

Robert Sanchez (Brighton & Hove Albion)

If there was one team that underperformed massively last season it had to be Brighton. Sanchez is currently the 3^rd most popular GK in FPL after Martinez. Such was the horrible form of Mathew Ryan that Brighton’s defensive form improved immediately after he was replaced by Sanchez. Brighton started playing with a renewed defensive verve but their attackers had a season to forget because of their poor finishing and composure in front of goal. Last season they finished 16^th overall and could only aim to be better this year.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – upper mid-table defence

• 3^rd – xG conceded, shots on target conceded, big chances conceded
• 5^th –clean sheets (12 CS)
• 7^th – goals conceded

GK Stats –

• 6th best GK for clean sheets (10) – played only 27 games. Martinez had only 15 CS from 38 games
• 3rd best per 90 min. stats – xG conceded, goals conceded, expected clean sheets

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

Sanchez & Brighton’s defence together perform as a solid defensive block. They have a great initial fixture run & should keep at least 3-4 clean sheets in the first 8 matches. Brighton has the best defensive fixture difficulty rating as per the FFHub fixture ticker for the first 10 GWs. They only face Leicester City from last season’s top 6 in that run. Definitely one of the best options to consider.

Verdict

👍 Hop on

Further Read: A Friend In Need Is a Friend Indeed – Best £4.5m MID options in FPL

Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace)

Crystal Palace barely escaped relegation and had the 4^th worst goal difference (after the relegated teams) last season. But they are one of the most exciting teams to look out for this season. They have been very active in the transfer market & will most probably play with a new defensive center-back pairing of Joachim Andersen & Marc Guéhi. With Patrick Vieira as their new head coach, Palace have an ambitious project in front of them. Also, the below stats should be taken with a pinch of salt, since these were under the previous management of Roy Hodgson.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – lower mid-table defence & were even relegation candidates at one stage

• 3^rd worst – goals conceded, xG conceded, big chances conceded, mins. per xG conceded
• 4^th worst for clean sheets (8)
• Most attempts from set plays conceded & headed goal attempts conceded

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

I believe that Vieira would start the season with a pretty compact & defensive tactic owing to their tough opening run & might later explore attacking options as the season progresses. Palace have historically been a tight defensive team. So with fans back in the stadium, at least home matches could be good fixtures to target defensively. Hence, Guaita should be a good option to consider maybe during the first wildcard, rather than from the start of the season.

Verdict

👎 Wait & see. Bad initial fixture run.

Daniel Bachmann (Watford)

The Watford GK played an instrumental role in his side’s Premier League promotion last season. Watford finished 2^nd in the EFL Championship, behind Norwich City. He came into the side after a finger injury to Ben Foster (4m) and has since retained the starting spot owing to some brilliant performances. He was impressive at the Euro 2020 tournament as well.

2020/21 Defending (*EFL Championship stats)

Team facts with stats – Best defense in the EFL Championship (2020/21)

• Most clean sheets (23) – This is equivalent to a clean sheet every other game (CS% = 50%)! Remember that each team plays 46 matches in the Championship
• Least goals Conceded in the league

GK stats –

• 13 CS from 23 matches (CS% = 56.5%)
• Best goals conceded per 90min. in the Championship
• 2^nd best save % (76%) after Tim Krul (Norwich City)

From the above stats, it is evident that Watford performed exceptionally well as a defensive unit. With Bachmann in goal, Watford improved even more. So he should retain his starting spot.

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

Premier League is way more challenging than the Championship. Better opponents and more clinical strikers could always have a negative impact on newly-promoted teams. Even considering a possible 10-15% reduction in performance, Watford’s numbers still look decent. For a combined value of 8.5m, Bachmann & Foster could be the ideal set & forget GK combo that ensures a good value proposition. There has been a bit of transfer uncertainty over his future so keep your eyes peeled on the situation.

Verdict

👍 Hop on

Tim Krul (Norwich City)

Norwich City have arguably the most difficult start to the Premier League campaign. But they have a GK who has years of experience playing in the highest level of English football. Krul is an under rated GK who has good goalkeeping attributes & has a penchant to make some incredible penalty saves. But the last time they were in the PL in 2019/20, they conceded 75 goals and had an appalling goal difference of -49 as well.

2020/21 Defending (*EFL Championship stats)

Team facts with stats – Secured promotion by winning the EFL Championship

• 2^nd least goals conceded (36) after Watford (30)
• Least no. of losses (7) along with Brentford

GK stats –

• Highest save % (80%) among all the keepers in the Championship
• 2^nd lowest goals conceded per 90mins. after Bachmann
• 3^rd best clean sheet %

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

From his previous PL experience, Daniel Farke should have learned a few lessons & looks to be more tactically flexible now. With budget FPL enablers, like Chelsea loanee Billy Gilmour (4.5m midfielder) & Andrew Omobamidele (4m defender) & led by the influential Grant Hanley (4.5m), they could spring a few surprises along the way. Krul might be a good pick after the initial set of fixtures & consider possibly for the 1^st wildcard.

Verdict

👎 Wait & see

David Raya Martin (Brentford)

Brentford were a play-off match win away from being promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2019/20 season. Nonetheless, after a strong end-of-season performance in the 2020/21 season, they did not falter at the final play-off hurdle & qualified to the PL in style. Thomas Frank’s squad comprises of relatively unknown players but with their grit & team cohesion, they have shown that they can face up to any opposition. They could be the team that we turn to for the budget gems as the season progresses. Highly rated CB, Kristoffer Ajer (4.5m), was brought in to shore up the defence.

2020/21 Defending (*EFL Championship stats)

Team facts with stats – Secured promotion by winning the play-off final

• Least no. of losses (7) along with Norwich
• 4^th – least goals conceded
• 5^th – shots on target conceded

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

They scored the most no. of goals scored (79) last season, 31 of which were scored by everyone’s favorite Ivan Toney (6.5m) who claimed the Championship Golden Boot. Defensively they looked suspect at times, so many believe that they play to their strengths of attacking football & mostly think of scoring 1 more than what the opposition scores. They have a few tricky fixtures to start with & also face 4 of the teams who finished in the top 6 last season from GW 6-9 as well. Consider Raya if you intend to wildcard early (GW 3 / 4).

Verdict

👎 Wait & see

Before you go further here is our combined Promoted team analysis ~ Best FPL Assets to Consider From Promoted Teams for 21/22 FPL Season and link to our individual team analysis ~ FPL Team Analysis

The 5m FPL Goalkeeper options

Illan Meslier (Leeds United)

He was the 3^rd highest scoring GK last season and at 4.5m was an alternative to the highly owned Emi Martinez. Leeds had a defensively poor start to the 2020/21 season, but the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa turned the defence around. From being a relegation level defence they transitioned into a well-organized defensive block towards the end of the season and had stats rivaling the mid-table teams. Meslier deserves much of the credit though, as he made some truly world-class saves to keep his side in games that were fiercely fought.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – Transformed from a lower table defensive team in the 1^st half of the 2020/21 season to mid-table defence in the 2^nd half.

GK stats –

• 4^th most saves
• 2^nd most bonus points
• 4^th most clean sheets

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

Last season Leeds had recurring injuries to their CB players & Bielsa had to reorganize the defence frequently. With the ambition to build on last season’s strong finish, Leeds should hope to get into the European spots, for which the team will depend heavily on Meslier’s performances. Expect Leeds to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of having fans back in the stadium. They have an okay FDR and Meslier scores points mostly by virtue of saves & bonus points. So if you want a long-term 5m GK he could be the ideal pick.

Verdict

👍 Hop on

We have also made an elaborate guide covering every rule and chip available in FPL for the 2021/22 FPL Season ~ 2021/22 Fantasy Premier League Season Rules, Tips | The Ultimate Guide

Bernd Leno (Arsenal)

Arsenal missed out on the European places on the final day of last season after Tottenham pipped them to 7^th place. This season they do not have any European distractions, so their players should have good rest times between matches. Also, they just brought in Ben White (4.5m) from Brighton who should improve their defence considerably. Mikel Arteta has a squad with a good mix of senior and youth players which makes them an interesting team to follow.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – performed like a top 6 defence

• 5^th – big chances conceded, xG conceded, mins. per xG conceded, clean sheets (12)
• 3^rd– goals conceded
• 4^th – shots on target conceded
• 6^th – goal attempts conceded

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

Arsenal finished last season in brilliant defensive form conceding only 2 goals in the last 5 matches. After facing Chelsea & Manchester City in GW2 & 3 respectively, they have a great fixture run until facing Liverpool in GW12. But from last year. White at 4.5m could be the easier gamble into their defence, but Leno is a good pick as well if you intend to go for a long-term GK pick.

Verdict

👍 Hop on if considering a long-term GK & wildcarding late.

Before that do check out our FPL Team Structure Guide series where we make a case for each of the structures including big at the back ~ A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)

Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Everton had a good mid-season run last term but did not perform when most needed. They faltered during the initial phases & towards the end of the season & were lucky to finish in the top 10. Under Carlo Ancelotti they had an up & down adventure, so the below stats and details are not a true reflection of the team under new coach Rafael Benítez. Pickford had a massive Euro 2020 tournament, so he should be all pumped to start the season strongly.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – mid-table defence

• 10^th – big chances conceded
• 11^th – xG conceded
• 13^th – goal attempts conceded
• 5^th – clean sheets (12)

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

Benitez is arguably considered by many to be a defensive coach, but it all depends on how quickly the team can adapt to his tactics. For 0.5m more there is Lucas Digne who is one of the best options in that price range. But Pickford could be a shrewd pick considering their easy opening fixture run where they only face a top 6 team (Man. United) from last season in GW7.

Verdict

👍 Hop on

Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City)

Leicester missed on qualifying for the Champions League yet again. They were usually reliable defensively & with Jonny Evans along with Wesley Fofana in their team they had a strong defensive backbone last season. But surprisingly they faltered in matches where they were least expected to. This season they have enhanced their attacking depth but have defensive problems. Schmeichel has scored more than 120 points in the past 4 seasons.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – mid-table defence

• 5^th – shots on target conceded, goal attempts conceded
• 7^th – xG conceded
• 9^th – big chances conceded
• 11^th – goals conceded

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

With Wesley Fofana & James Justin (knee injury) having long-term injuries & Jonny Evans (foot injury) expected to miss the opening couple of gameweeks, Brendan Rodgers has his task cut out. If they get a new CB, they could be a good bet defensively. They have a good spread of fixtures so should be a good bet if you are a bit of a risky type.

Verdict

👎 Wait & see

Further Read: 2021/22 FPL Chip Strategy: What to do with the Elusive Boosts

Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham United)

West Ham finished 6^th last season against all odds & above European spot favorites Arsenal & Spurs. They had a prolific attack and scored the 4^th most goals (62). David Moyes did an incredible job in identifying his strongest possible team pretty early as well. Tomáš Souček & Vladimír Coufal quickly settled into the team & formed the base of their success last season. If Declan Rice stays & if they can get a good CB before the transfer window closes, they could be a really reliable defence to invest in.

2020/21 Defending

Team facts with stats – mid-table defence

• 8^th – big chances conceded, xG conceded, shots on target conceded, mins per xG conceded
• 7^th – goal attempts in box conceded
• 6^th – attempts from set plays conceded

Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)

Thoughts

West Ham will definitely look to build from their success last season. Fabianski is a proven FPL asset & interestingly enough he has made 7 penalty saves in the last 5 seasons – since 2016/17 he has made at least 1 penalty save every season! Cannot go too wrong with him, so he might be a long-term pick as well. Maybe at 5m, we have Coufal as well, so if you do not want to double up, he could be considered owing to his attacking potential.

Verdict

👎 Wait & see. Better defender options are available from the same team.

FPL Goalkeeper Rankings

• 4.5m – Sanchez > Bachmann > Guaita > Krul
• 5m – Meslier > Leno > Pickford > Schmeichel

All statistics & data used in the article are courtesy of FBref.com & Opta (Fantasy Football Hub & Fantasy Football Scout). Thank you for your continuous support for our articles. Please provide your valuable feedback and suggestions which would help us improve more.

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