He was well positioned as he was stood on the line between the ball & the outside of the wall!
It was a good, but not unbelievable, save. My model finds such a FK gets saved ~50% of the time due to its low speed & distance from the post!
I’ve seen the save described on Twitter as both the save of the season & poor positioning followed by a slow recovery!
As usual the truth is between the two & I should make it clear here that saving a 50/50 shot is a lot closer to the save of the season than poor GKing!
I should add that #Ramsdale had a phenomenal game, saving 4 out of 4 1v1s!
Which is unreal!
If you run all the shots he faced through my model you find #Ramsdale saved #AFC in total 2.38 goals above average which in a 2-0 win means he literally won them the game!
In conclusion #Ramsdale put in a huge MotM performance on Saturday & won #AFC the game but while the save he made against the feee kick was good it wasn’t even the best save #Ramsdale made in the game never mind the best save any goalkeeper has made this season!
The 1st goal was a textbook shot stopping technique selection mistake
The shot went next to DDG’s right foot but rather than go with his foot he went with his hand
It was odd to see as DDG’s shot stopping technique selection is usually flawless!
I actually thought #DeGea’s footwork before the shot occurred was excellent & it got him into a great position to make the save but his shot stopping technique selection let him down at the last moment & meant he couldn’t make the save!
The 1st goal was a mistake but I am way more concerned about the 2nd.
Even though #DeGea had ample time to judge the 1v1 would be from close range he failed to get close enough to the ball to maximise the goal area covered & snuff out the shot.
I’ve seen this describe as a wonder save but it’s a decision making error followed by a good recovery
My 1v1 model predicts this to be scored 2% of the time if the GK holds deep while if the GK rushes, like #Mendy, it is scored 64% of the time
He made it way harder for himself!
I think #Mendy is a top GK by the way & he’s made many great saves this season but just because a GK is good doesn’t mean we should praise them regardless of how good their goalkeeping actually is!
If anything this save should actually worry #Chelsea fans a bit as it is reminiscent of an issue #Mendy had last year when he gave away soft goals vs #LUFC & #EFC
Hopefully for #CFC fans it was a 1 off bad decision & it won’t happen again unlike in the middle part of last year.
It’s unbelievable awareness to spot the run, then exceptional technique to pick it out!
Being able to set up 2 v 3 situations from the GK is so useful
This pass was certainly the standout moment for me but importantly it was not an isolated incident at all
This pass map is genuinely outrageous!
I don’t think I have ever seen a GK record a 100% successful & positive open play game where they were pressed on 40% of their passes & where they attempted to break the oppositions formation with 67% of their passes!
Ah I feel for #Martinez, shuffling around on his line pre shot & ending up on the left side of his goal cost him those extra inches that would’ve allowed him to parry the ball away from danger!
At the same time it was potentially the movement that put PEM off so it’s a hard one!
Obviously it was a top top penalty save but you could instantly tell by #Martinez’s reaction that he was gutted with the fact he didn’t manage to push it out wide.
I don’t think #Martinez should be too harsh on himself thought as I think it was just smart timing from Auba
I always say to penalty takers if the GK bounces around side to side on the line time it so they are on the wrong side as you strike the ball as their weight will all be on that side & it will be very difficult for them to get all the way across goal & that’s what Auba did
Definition: A forced out of position 1v1 is a 1v1 which occurs either after a rebound, ricochet, or cross which results in a 1v1 situation where the GK could not possibly be inline with the ball as the situation starts & needs to reposition quickly to make the save
As you can imagine forced out of position 1v1s are scored over 80% of the time & saving them is very difficult but basically the only way to give yourself a chance is to combine quick footspeed, determination, a willingness not to give up, & a tidy execution of the smother