It really is the goalkeeper

What wins you titles?

According to some people, it’s an elite number 9. According to others, it’s an elite defensive midfielder or perhaps a world-class centre-half.

To me, I think it’s the goalkeeper. Stretching my mind back to the last 5 or so years, where this shift from elite strikers to something else, may have occurred - I’m struggling to think of a team that won any major trophy whilst not having one of the best goalkeepers in the world between the sticks. That is, a top 5 goalkeeper in Europe at the time.

PSG showed the world that they didn’t need a striker or imperious centre-back to win the Champions League - that myth has been busted. Liverpool won the Premier League easily without really having a striker for the most of the season whilst also using a makeshift 6 at the base of their midfield. Real Madrid won their most recent Champions League without a striker. Manchester City have won league titles without an out-and-out striker. Even Chelsea didn’t really have an authentic striker when they won the Champions League in 2021. 

But what do all these teams have in common? Alisson, Courtois, Donnarumma, Ederson and even Mendy for that brief period. All of whom are/were viewed as the best keepers in the world when these trophies were won. 

Alisson and Courtois I shouldn’t have to touch on as they’ve probably been the best two goalkeepers in Europe for at least the last 5 seasons. Although Ederson has always had his critics and has looked to be on the decline recently  - it’s hard to forget that he was a well above average shot-stopper when Manchester City were at their indisputable best and was easily the world’s leading keeper with the ball at his feet. Even Donnarumma has shut up critics who doubted whether he had what it took to be the number 1 in Luis Enrique’s system. Without the Italian, PSG certainly wouldn’t have won that Champions League and he’s now seen as one of the best in his position in the world. Eduoard Mendy is more of an anomaly as he was absolutely immense as a shot-stopper for the 10 months that coincided with Chelsea’s memorable Champions League win, but prior and post those 10 months, he’s been fairly average in  the grand scheme of things.

But, you see my point. Think of all the great Premier League and Champions League winning teams from the last 10 months and you will quickly be able to recall their GK being immense at that time.

Imposing, large frame, commanding - they all have similarities. It can’t be underestimated the boost that having a goalkeeper who you fully trust, can give defenses. The confidence and release of pressure it may give centre-backs could make the world of difference over the course of a season. All of these keepers produced match-winning moments on numerous occasions over the course of these campaigns which eventually led to silverware. Dynasties start and end with your goalkeeper. A great team is synonymous with a match-winner between the sticks. Perhaps that’s why Barcelona didn’t go all the way in the Champions League and is a partial reason for Man City’s regression this season. 

At the highest level, it’s the smallest details that make a difference. Having a keeper in your net that can pull off miraculous saves whilst also being consistently reliable - is the equivalent of having a striker who can hit 25 a season. 

Having a world-class goalkeeper who can earn you 5-8 points a season, seems to now be pivotal if you want to win the biggest trophies. Maybe it’s always been like that and people haven’t really paid attention, I know I haven’t. But as the role of a goalkeeper becomes more specialised and increasingly difficult, who you have in net - will matter more and more. 

There’s a lot of great teams in Europe and in the Premier League. So many will be competing for their respective accolades. If you’re trying to predict who will win the Prem or UCL in 2025/26, a quick way to rule out a lot of contenders is to look at how good their goalie is. If they aren’t in-and-around the Courtois and Alisson tier, or haven’t shown signs they can reach that level - then chances are their team won’t be winning anything major in the near future.

It’s no surprise that many of the continent’s biggest teams are actively looking for a new number 1. 

They matter now, more than ever.