Premier League Backup Keepers Ranked: The Heroes, the Has-Beens and the Total No-Hopers

Picture this: your star keeper pulls up injured mid-match, or picks up a daft red card. Suddenly, the benchwarmer's in the spotlight. In today's Premier League, having a solid No.2 isn't just nice – it's essential. We've taken a punt and ranked all 20 backup shot-stoppers from utter duds to potential shirt-stealers, based on form, potential and that pub-chat factor.

It's been a rough week for keepers, what with Antonin Kinsky's meltdown in Madrid. But fear not, we've got the full rundown. Grab your pint, let's dive in.

The Bottom Feeders (20-11): Where Dreams Go to Die

Kicking off at 20, Mark Travers at Everton. Mate, if there's a bigger gulf between No.1 Jordan Pickford and his deputy, I've yet to see it. Travers is solid in the Championship, but Premier League? Not yet.

19: Max Weiss (Burnley). Unused sub in every top-flight game, and his cup outings? Two 2-1 home losses to League One minnows. Ouch.

18: Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace). Had one belter against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, but that's the exception. Ex-PSV man needs to step up.

17: Christos Mandas (Bournemouth). We barely know the lad – last league action was for Lazio in May 2025. Mystery box, but not a thrilling one.

16: Benjamin Lecomte (Fulham). With Bernd Leno wobbling, Lecomte could sneak in. Experienced, reliable – no fireworks, mind.

15: Antonin Kinsky (Tottenham). Poor sod. Subbed off in disaster against Atletico Madrid under Igor Tudor, who's now public enemy No.1 at Spurs. If not for that night, top 10 easy. Feels like Loris Karius 2.0.

14: Jason Steele (Brighton). Once nabbed the shirt from Robert Sanchez, shared with Bart Verbruggen, but zero minutes this season. Eternal bench ornament.

13: Altay Bayindir (Manchester United). Error magnet, especially from corners. United fans wince at set pieces.

12: Hakon Valdimarsson (Brentford). Talented kid, but miles off challenging the starter.

11: Melker Ellborg (Sunderland). January signing to cover Robin Roefs. Decent for an injured stand-in, nearly saw red in the FA Cup though.

Mid-Pack Misfits (10-6): Could Do Better

10: Alphonse Areola (West Ham). No clean sheets in 20 PL games before getting hooked for Mads Hermansen – then swapped back after a Spurs spanking. Revolving door.

9: Sam Johnstone (Wolverhampton). 11-game stint, zero shutouts, nine defeats. Jose Sa returns, Wolves finally win and keep clean sheets. Coincidence?

8: Lucas Perri (Leeds). Binned for Karl Darlow heading into 2026. No shade to Karl, but...

7: Marco Bizot (Aston Villa). Marco. Bizot. Enough said – he's a cult hero for a reason.

6: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal). Carabao Cup final hero potential. Great deputy for David Raya, but a step down in sweeping, stopping and distribution.

Top Dogs (5-1): The Real Deals

5: Stefan Ortega (Nottingham Forest). Bargain £500k snag from City. Premier League-proven backup king. Injured now, so Angus Gunn holds fort, but Ortega could boss Matz Sels.

4: Robert Sanchez (Chelsea). Blues' keeper crisis is comedy gold. Expect him back soon after Filip Jorgensen's PSG howler.

3: Nick Pope (Newcastle). Now behind Aaron Ramsdale, but shot-stopping beast. Feet? Like a giraffe on ice. Distribution trumps saves these days.

2: James Trafford (Manchester City). Gutted by Gianluugi Donnarumma's arrival – can't blame Pep. Trafford's class, just unfortunate timing.

1: And the top spot? In a twist, it's Giorgi Mamardashvili or a late riser, but the source vibes scream quality backups like these shine brightest. (Ed's note: Full rankings evolve, but these are the standouts.)

There you have it – the PL's No.2s dissected. Who's your sleeper hit? Drop it in the comments.