Alisson and Ramsdale heroics still cannot match the Manchester United magic of De Gea

David de Gea really was phenomenal at Manchester United for a time. Aaron Ramsdale and Jordan Pickford have pulled off some belting saves before too.

Aaron Ramsdale v Liverpool

One of those I-can’t-believe-it saves where Darwin Nunez heads the ball from the six-yard box, wide of the keeper towards Ibrahima Konate to tap in, but somehow Ramsdale dives to the left and claws the goal-bound ball off the line, and in the process so earned his manager’s respect that he transferred him to Southampton, the club where dreams go to die.

David de Gea v Everton

De Gea pulled off many spectacular saves. This one was typical. A free-kick gets defended and the ball ricochets out to the edge of the box. It’s powerfully struck goalwards towards the top corner. The goalie somehow reaches up with his right hand and, at full stretch, deflects it over the bar. He did this all the time, with a seemingly telescopic arm. He does have a terrible haircut; perhaps that helped.

Asmir Begovic v West Brom

In a game for Stoke v West Brom, he pulls off an amazing trifecta of shot stops. First, a hard 30-yard drive is pushed out; he’s on the ground but gets up so quickly he’s in place to stop the striker scoring from the rebound and pushes it away. Yet the attack is not over and he has to deflect a third shot. It only takes a few seconds but West Brom can’t believe they’ve not scored. And to think, after 172 games for Stoke, a role as reserve keeper at Everton awaited 10 years later. Never think things can’t get worse.

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David de Gea v Chelsea

Another one of his telescopic-one-arm-outstretched saves. This time a Juan Mata free-kick is fired in from 30 yards and is going in the left-hand top bins. It’s right on the postage stamp and going at speed. It should have been a goal and had no right to be saved but the De Gea Stretch Armstrong elastic rubber right arm reached out over his head and deflected it around the post.

Manuel Neuer v Borussia Dortmund

This save is distinguished by both being athletic but also actually pouncing on the ball. A free-kick is hit low into the corner but Neuer is enormous and dives at full stretch to the right-hand post and with a massive paw places a hand on the ball and stops it on the line. It looks easy but you have to have quick reactions and to be able to elongate your massive body to get your hand over and on top of the ball and casually stop it.

Craig Gordon v Bolton

One out of the quick reactions play book. The ball is flying around the six-yard box, ricocheting wildly. Zat Knight – where did the 10 years since his retirement go? – stabs the ball at the goal from three yards and Gordon looks beaten but flings out his left arm with impressive speed and pushes it up and over the bar. To think, 14 years later he’s still Scotland’s best keeper, albeit at Hearts, one of the Premiership’s worst teams this season so far.

Joe Hart v West Ham

He might be one of today’s best pundits, and is certainly the one with the longest neck, but often he was decent in goal too. On this occasion, West Ham have a free-kick from 30 yards and it is struck hard to the top corner, only to see Joe crossing his area and reaching an arm out to deflect it away. Spectacular stuff and convinced enough people that he was England’s best.

Tim Howard v Wigan

Part of being a good goalkeeper is being lucky. Everton’s favourite American makes a fabulous point-blank save that you can hardly believe. The ball is crossed into the six-yard box and is headed from three yards out towards the goal. Powerfully too. Howard is crossing his goal with his left arm outstretched, exactly in the way of the ball and he deflects a certain goal away. Was it luck or skill? In September 2018, he became part-owner of Dagenham & Redbridge, y’know.

Jordan Pickford v Manchester City

He’s stopped Everton being relegated for years now, in his slightly-too-tight-across-the-backside shorts. Always good value for dramatic saves and for his histrionics to his dramatic saves. And he is a very good swearer. This save is a bit of a Jordan classic. The ball is driven in from the left to his left and he diverts it away into more players. A City player fires the rebound towards the left-hand side of the goal as Pickford is galloping across. It hits him hard in the head and bounces over the bar. This greatly amuses Jordan who laughs maniacally and punches the air in celebration.

Alisson Becker v Newcastle

Alisson is a fantastic keeper who routinely makes the sort of extraordinary save that would make Pickford burst into flames. Against Newcastle, he rushes out of his box to boot the ball off the toe of an attacking Newcastle player but it goes loose and Alisson scrambles back into his area in time to save a follow-up shot and deflect it away. A unique sort of double save.

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