7 Best Aston Villa Goalkeepers In Premier League History (Ranked)

Aston Villa supporters have witnessed some incredible goalkeepers don the gloves, from a World Cup champion to possibly the best the Premier League has ever seen.

Emiliano Martínez’s efforts in goal have helped Aston Villa return to the Champions League for the 2024–25 campaign.

Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, Villa has fielded 18 goalkeepers with at least ten appearances. These goalkeepers have varied in their level of success while representing the Villans.

Some goalkeepers in claret and blue have failed, while others have flourished because the position of goalie is so crucial and has such dire ramifications should a mistake be made. Goalkeepers for Villa have made some well-known errors during the Premier League era. Examples include Peter Enckleman’s horrific own goal in the Second City derby at St. Andrews in 2002 and Orjan Nyland’s famous escape from carrying the ball over the line against Sheffield United in 2020 due to a Hawk-Eye malfunction. However, goalkeepers like Mark Bosnich and Martinez have achieved success both during and after their Villa careers.

The goalie for the Midlands club has frequently had to step up to the plate in order for the team to live up to expectations given the club’s very uneven Premier League history, which includes anything from relegation to top-four results.

Ranking Factors

The best seven goalkeepers to represent Aston Villa in the competition, chosen after taking into account the following criteria:

• Clean Sheets
• Goals Conceded Per Game
• Overall Impact
• Status Among Villa Fans
  

  #	Goalkeeper	Appearances	Clean Sheets	Goals Conceded Per Game	Clean Sheet Rate %
  1	Emiliano Martínez	144	48	1.25	33
  2	Mark Bosnich	180	68	1	38
  3	Thomas Sorensen	139	47	1.15	34
  4	Brad Friedel	114	35	1.27	31
  5	David James	67	21	1.03	31
  6	Nigel Spink	54	16	1.15	30
  7	Peter Schmeichel	29	7	1.28	24

  7Peter Schmeichel

  It may seem odd to start with what is perhaps the best goalkeeper in Premier League history, but Peter Schmeichel’s legacy is undoubtedly shaped by his time while playing for Manchester United. He was 38 years old and nearing the end of his career when he joined Villa in 2001, but he still put in a strong performance, one that has only happened five times since. One of his memorable goals at Goodison Park against Everton was the first goal ever scored by a goalkeeper in the Premier League.

  Though he only made 29 appearances in his one season there, he was out of favor under Graham Taylor and moved shockingly to Manchester City before retiring in 2003. But he had made his mark on the team and contributed greatly, particularly when compared to backup goalkeeper Peter Enckleman, whose percentage of clean sheets was lower than the Dane’s. Schmeichel and Brad Friedel, who was playing for a squad that was more reliably strong, had nearly equal minutes-per-goal ratios.

  Recalling the year Villa were demoted, his son Kasper was a well-known member of the Leicester City team that won the Premier League in 2015–16.

  6Nigel Spink

  The man in goal on Villa’s most iconic day, the 1982 European Cup final against Bayern Munich, is next. Spink made just his second-ever appearance for the team, replacing the injured Jimmy Rimmer and going on to win the competition while keeping a clean sheet, cemented his legacy as a club icon.

  Although he was gradually replaced by Mark Bosnich in the following years, Spink remained the club’s best goalkeeper when the Premier League arrived at the age of 34. In 1995, he made his final appearance for the team as an injury replacement, playing outfield against Ian Taylor. In 1996, he became a member of West Bromwich Albion and retired in 2001.

  5David James

  David James, the goalkeeper with the most Premier League appearances, joined Villa in 1999 after a brief stint at Liverpool. Despite this, his goals conceded per game ratio is the second best on the list, therefore his inclusion is justified. His numbers are remarkable in comparison to others, not only on this list but also around the club, and he has a strong 31% clean sheet rate.

  Although James played 67 games in two seasons and gave up 69 goals, Villa supporters will probably remember him most for being the reason behind Chelsea’s winning goal in the 2000 FA Cup final—the final one held at the former Wembley. In 2001, he relocated to West Ham. He earned 53 caps for England during his playing career and represented his nation in four international competitions. After playing with Kerala Blasters in India, whom he later managed, he retired in 2014.

  4Brad Friedel

  Brad Friedel, who cost £2.5 million when he was signed from Blackburn Rovers, made his debut against Liverpool in May 2011 at the age of forty-one years and four days, making him the official oldest player in Aston Villa history. The reasons Friedel is ranked so highly on this list are his length, consistency, and injury history. Although his statistics may not be as striking as James’, it is astounding that the American goalkeeper missed just 27 minutes of league play in his three years as a Villa player. He was given a red card in a match against Liverpool, which was later reversed, which is why he played for 27 minutes. Friedel was also a regular in European football, having played for Villa in teams that finished sixth three seasons in a row. Brad Guzan, a fellow countryman, was frequently chosen for continental tournaments, nevertheless. After his contract with Villa expired in 2011, he signed with Tottenham, ending a record-breaking 310 Premier League appearances in a row. 2015 saw his retirement.

  3Thomas Sorensen

  A reliable goalkeeper who cost £2 million to acquire from Sunderland in 2003 to replace the underwhelming Peter Enckleman, Sorensen became known as one of the league’s greatest stoppers during his first few seasons in claret and blue. The Dane was highly regarded by David O’Leary and Martin O’Neill, but a falling out with the latter caused him to lose favor in his final season at the club. He dropped to third choice behind Scott Carson and Stuart Taylor before being released in 2008 and joining Stoke City. The Dane had the second-best clean sheet percentage of any goalkeeper on this list, only behind Bosnich. In 2017, he announced his retirement from Melbourne Victory. In addition, Sorensen played more than 100 international games for Denmark between 1999 and 2012.

  2Mark Bosnich

  While Bosnich’s ranking is terrible statistically, Emiliano Martínez’s accomplishments and influence push the Australian down to second place. After moving from Sydney United to Villa in 1992, Bosnich had to start off as Nigel Spink’s backup goalkeeper. However, he quickly rose to the top of the league and helped Villa win their most recent trophy—a 3-0 victory over Leeds United in the 1996 League Cup final. On this list, Bosnich has the best ratio of goals conceded per game and the best clean sheet percentage. His record is extremely outstanding because he is the only one with a goals-against-per-game record that is not greater than one. Given that Villa barely avoided relegation in 1994–1995—a season in which the Australian was the team’s top goalkeeper—Bosnich’s stats became even more impressive. One could argue that Bosnich’s goalkeeping kept the team in the league during that campaign.

  Bosnich’s image in the sport was tarnished by off-field problems, but there’s no disputing that he is among Villa’s greatest players from the Premier League era. After his contract expired in 1999, he moved out of Villa and rejoined Manchester United, where he had begun his professional career. This made him the only player to be signed by Sir Alex Ferguson twice. After that, he joined Chelsea, but he was suspended from the game for five years in 2003 after failing a drug test. Before retiring in 2009, he had very few appearances after making a comeback in 2008 with the Central Coast Mariners and then Sydney Olympic.

  1Emiliano Martínez

  Since joining Aston Villa for £20 million from Arsenal in the summer of 2020, Emiliano Martínez—the first and only World Cup champion to hold a contract there—has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Both Martinez and Villa, the 2023 Yashin Trophy winner, have only gotten better while he’s been with the team. Because of his skill with the ball and his ability to stop shots, Martinez has kept a clean sheet in three of his club’s games. This is particularly impressive considering that Martinez is frequently in possession of the ball due to Villa’s style of play under Unai Emery, which shows the defense’s faith in their ‘keeper. When Robin Olsen, Villa’s deputy, is in goal, his record is noticeably poorer, demonstrating the Argentine’s superiority.

  Although his antics frequently get him into trouble with both referees and supporters of opposing teams, Villans like him for his charm and character. Villa defeated Lille in the European Conference League thanks in large part to his outstanding penalty-saving abilities. In a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United, he also made his debut saving a penalty. Villa supporters will hope he is around for the long run since, at 31, he still has a lot to give and plenty of years left in him. This is especially true when the club returns to Europe’s top competition in the 2024–2025 season for the first time in almost 40 years.

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