Where have all the good goalkeepers gone?

Chelsea's Petr Cech has failed to reproduce his amazing form since his head injury in 2006

The so-called traditional ‘big four’ teams in the Premiership – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have all conceded more goals so far this season than at the same stage last year.

This statistic perhaps comes as no surprise when you consider those horror defensive moments from normally stalwart defences.

Take, for example, United’s Rio Ferdinand’s weak challenge on Liverpool striker Fernando Torres as he goes in on goal last Sunday or the freakish moment at the Stadium of Light with the much reported ‘beach ball incident’.

These incidents, along with Arsenal’s record Premiership goal tally for this stage in the season has made for an exciting watch but it begs the question,

What has happened to those top quality defenders and keepers that have made that top four so impenetrable in the past?

Let’s have a quick glance at the goalkeeping situation of the ‘Big Four’ so far this season:

• Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation, or lack thereof, is the most laughable. The Gunners have come to rely on a 21-year-old Italian, Vito Mannone, who after an impressive display at Craven Cottage in late September has kept the No 1 position despite some shaky performances thereafter.

Since Arsenal’s preferred No 1, Manuel Almunia was brought down with a rather convenient “chest infection” after a less than convincing start to the season he has been unable to wrestle back his first team place from the Italian rooky. Despite his horror moments, most notably at Old Trafford when he brought down Wayne Rooney in the penalty area, Almunia is the best experienced option the Gunners have and therefore the most reliable option in my opinion for the forthcoming game with old derby foes Tottenham Hotspur.

• Manchester United and Chelsea’s international goalkeepers, Edwin Van der Sar and Petr Cech respectively, are two very experienced goalkeepers and have a collection of European and home cups between them. But arguably neither of them have that invincibility that they once had.

Van der Sar was sidelined for two months at the start of the 2009/10 season with a broken finger and a flappable yet promising Ben Foster took his place.

Cech is yet to re-produce that form since his horrific head injury in 2006 that made him one of the contenders for best goalkeeper on the planet. A low point so far this season came with his sending off at Wigan Athletic after he brought down Wigan attacker Hugo Rodallega in the box - a game Chelsea went on to lose 3-1.

• Liverpool’s Pepe Reina is perhaps the only goalkeeper in the ‘Big Four’ so far immune from criticism. Apart from the beach ball incident, he continues to be reliable and alert and the way in which he ran the length of Anfield’s pitch last Sunday when the home side clinched their win against Manchester United, indicates his level of commitment to the team. If anything, the thirteen goals Liverpool have conceded so far would be in part down to the legendary, yet ageing legs of Jamie Carragher and the lack of a stable central defensive pairing.