Reaching New Heights

Joel Robles Is Currently Enjoying The Best Form Of His Career, Having Taken The Opportunity To Stake His Claim As First Choice When Keeping A Clean Sheet Against Leicester On Boxing Day. Now The Spaniard Is Aiming For More As He Eyes Success With The Blues

- Mike Taylor

Full of ups, mixed with a few downs - in terms of emotions and fortunes this season has, perhaps, been a microcosm of Joel Robles’ professional career.

But one thing is for certain - the Spaniard has reached new heights in 2017.

In an age where ‘The Beautiful Game’ is becoming increasingly interested in numbers, particularly when it comes to goalkeepers, Joel has led the way on a number of fronts since his second league start of the season against this afternoon’s opponents on Boxing Day.

Most importantly, the Spaniard has a clean sheet percentage of 56.3 per cent so far this campaign, the highest of any goalkeeper in England’s top flight with 10 or more appearances, with Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois currently his nearest competition on an impressive, yet significantly lower, 43.3 per cent.

And that gap was on its way to becoming even greater last time out at Old Trafford, until Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s last-gasp penalty cruelly denied Joel a ninth shut-out since his return to the starting line-up.

“That record makes me proud but it’s not the most important thing for me, because I like to focus on the good results we’ve had instead,” he insists. “Clean sheets are the best way I can contribute to that but the way the team is performing will always be the most important thing.

“Of course, for a goalkeeper it is very important to have a run of games and I’m glad I have been able to help improve our position. I have now started the last 15 games, I’m happy with that and the team is playing well, but the most important thing for me is always the results for the team.