SUMMARY
- Everton and England's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a remarkable save against Aston Villa
- Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, despite being 33 years old, demonstrated his excellence by making a stunning save against Atalanta.
2023 is coming to a close, which gives fans a chance to look back at the best performances in soccer across the board. Usually, world-class goals and assists take all the spotlight in year-end lists, but on the other end of the pitch, goalkeepers also deserve some credit.
There have been some incredible performances from goalkeepers in 2023, including jaw-dropping saves. This list covers five of those jaw-dropping saves. This list is not restricted to the top five leagues in Europe but includes three saves from the Premier League, one save from Ligue 1, and one from Serie A.
Guglielmo Vicario against Nottingham Forest
Vicario joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer and has been an instant hit for the London club. The Italian goalkeeper has slotted perfectly to the Premier League, with five clean sheets in 18 Premier League games. Apart from being a reliable presence in the box, the former Empoli goalkeeper is an excellent shot-spotter.
The biggest example of his abilities came against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League when the Italian goalkeeper made an instinctive save from a point-blank header to maintain his clean sheet. Vicario has made some incredible saves in the Premier League but this was the best of the bunch.
Jordan Pickford against Aston Villa
Pickford has been a reliable goalkeeper for Everton and England who occasionally comes out with jaw-dropping saves that can make the highlight reel of any goalkeeper. The same was evident when Pickford lineup against Aston Villa back in March.
Lucas Digne crossed a beautiful cross from the left for Ollie Watkins who headed it downwards to the right post but Pickford stretched to make a wonderful save to keep Everton in the match. The match ended in favor of Aston Villa but Pickford did his best to keep the Merseyside side in the game.
Wojciech Szczesny against Atalanta
Szczesny has been a reliable shot-stopper for Juventus for the last six years. Even at 33 years old the Polish keeper has been delivering for the Italian side which was evident when he pulled out an incredible save against Atalanta.
🇵🇱✋ Wojciech Szczęsny with a fantastic save vs Atalanta!
Allegri after the game labelled Szczęsny as ‘one of very best goalkeepers in Europe’ ✨pic.twitter.com/THsr4YtChl
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 2, 2023
Luis Muriel took an incredible free kick for Atalanta that was making its way to the top left corner but Szczesny leaped to the top corner to keep the score level at 0-0 for Juventus. After the game, Juventus’ manager labeled the Polish keeper one of the best shot-stopper in Europe.
Emiliano Martínez against Manchester City
Emiliano Martinez’s last 12 months have been one hell of a ride. From winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina to the current run with Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Argentine keeper has been vital to both sides. The latest example of his capabilities came recently against Manchester City in the Premier League.
🇦🇷🛑 Emi Martínez’s double save vs Erling Haaland! 🖐️ pic.twitter.com/L51wBBkRyq
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 7, 2023
The Argentine keeper made a double save against Erling Haaland to keep the defending champions at bay. These saves proved to be essential as Aston Villa registered a 1-0 win to record a famous victory at Villa Park. The Argentine currently has four clean sheets in 17 Premier League matches but this clean sheet was the best of the bunch in 2023.
Gianluigi Donnarumma against Bayern Munich
Donnarumma has been a hit-or-miss for PSG since his transfer from AC Milan. The Italian goalkeeper has made some glaring mistakes in the UCL for the French side but has also made some jaw-dropping saves. His best save came in the 2022/23 season in UCL.
Donnarumma, Kobel, Sommer…
Who made the best save? 🧐#UCLsaves || @TurkishAirlines || #UCL pic.twitter.com/aUaLIXE06D
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 15, 2023
The Italian goalkeeper made an incredible save from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the second leg for their last 16 tie. The French club was knocked out with a 3-0 scoreline in the tie, but the save was one of the standout moments for the goalkeeper in 2023.