Alarming trend in the Premier League

Ederson or Onana are prone to mistakes when playing risky football.

"Onana can produce moments of genius and disaster," wrote the Daily Mail . From silly mistakes against Ipswich and Brighton to clumsy handling in the Champions League, Onana has left behind many heart-stopping moments.

But not only him, but even top names like Ederson also made mistakes, typically two bad situations in the loss to Real Madrid, or the situation where Hudson-Odoi defeated him at the near post against Nottingham Forest.

Statistics show that the number of errors made by Premier League goalkeepers is on the rise. So far this season, there have been 81 errors leading to shots, far exceeding the average of the previous four seasons. Of these, 37 errors have led to goals, more than all previous seasons combined.

So what’s going on? Today, goalkeepers are more than just keepers. They are expected to open the ball up, initiate attacks and act as a “station” for the defence. Since the days of Ederson and Pep Guardiola, the “sweeper-keeper” has become the norm.

Short passes have doubled, and long balls are rarely played. The average distance taken for a kick-off this season is 37 metres, down from 60 metres in 2013/14. And when the ball is played so close to goal, mistakes are more likely to occur and the danger is greater.

Goalkeepers who only specialize in blocking and lack footwork skills like De Gea are no longer popular.

Are they still good at saving shots? Physically, goalkeepers are faster, stronger and more agile than before. But in terms of save percentage, they have gradually become worse. Twenty years ago, goalkeepers saved 75% of shots; today, that figure is around 66%.

The reason? Modern football favours shots with high success rates (xG), from close range and from difficult angles. More than two-thirds of shots now come from inside the penalty area, far more than 20 years ago.

Over the last four seasons, Premier League goalkeepers have conceded an alarming 226 more goals than expected. Despite his mistakes, Onana is among the rare group of "more saves than expected" with 4 goals in 2 seasons, equal to Ederson since joining Man City. But not as much as David De Gea, who saved more than 12.5 expected goals in the 2017/18 season alone.

The goalkeeper’s job is changing. They are no longer just a stopper, they are the starting link for the team’s play. But as the demands increase, so does the chance of making mistakes.

"We often idealize legends like Schmeichel, Cech, Banks, forgetting that they also made mistakes. Perhaps, goalkeepers today are not worse, they are just playing in a harsher world than ever," Daily Mail concluded.

A careless move made MU's defense pay the price. In the 20th minute of MU's 2-2 draw with Everton in round 26 of the Premier League on the night of February 22, Beto (Everton) took advantage of the chaotic situation to unleash a shot that hit the ground, leaving Onana (MU) completely helpless.

Source: https://znews.vn/xu-huong-dang-bao-dong-o-ngoai-hang-anh-post1543726.html