What is a clean sheet in football and who earns the credit?

Explaining what a clean sheet is, how it is recorded, who gets credited, and which Premier League goalkeepers and defences lead the clean sheet charts this season.

A clean sheet can be worth just as much to a club as a goal. And in a tight title race or a relegation battle, the goalkeeper who keeps them consistently tends to be just as valuable as the striker lighting up the other end. Here's what a clean sheet actually means, who gets the credit, and who is leading the charts this season.

What counts as a clean sheet in football?

A clean sheet is awarded when a team doesn’t concede a goal during a match. Zero goals against after 90 minutes, or after extra time if it's a cup tie, and the goalkeeper and defence have their clean sheet.

A few edge cases are worth knowing. Own goals count as goals conceded, so if a defender turns the ball into his own net the clean sheet is gone, even though the opposition didn’t score. Penalty shootouts also don't count towards clean sheet statistics in most competitions, since they are treated as a separate tiebreaking mechanism rather than part of the match itself.

If a goalkeeper is substituted during a match, the rules around who gets credited vary slightly depending on the competition and the data provider. In most cases, the goalkeeper who starts the match gets the clean sheet if they play the majority of it. A keeper who comes on for the last ten minutes of a 0-0 tends not to receive the credit, though this can differ across fantasy football platforms and official stats providers.

Who gets credited for a clean sheet?

The goalkeeper is the primary recipient. In fantasy football, most platforms award clean sheet points to outfield defenders and sometimes defensive midfielders too, but in official statistics it is a goalkeeping metric first and foremost.

That said, a goalkeeper rarely keeps a clean sheet alone. The defenders in front of them, the midfielders who track back, the pressing system that stops attacks before they start, it all contributes. A goalkeeper behind a well-organised back four will keep more clean sheets than an equally talented keeper behind a disorganised one. 

This is also why the stat needs context. A goalkeeper with 14 clean sheets who has made 37 saves is operating behind an excellent defence. A goalkeeper with 14 clean sheets and 70 saves is working considerably harder for the same basic outcome. Both deserve credit. The numbers just tell slightly different stories.

The Premier League's clean sheet leaders in 2025/26

David Raya leads the Premier League this season with 14 clean sheets for Arsenal, a tally that already exceeds his total for the entirety of 2024/25. 

Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals in the division and Raya has been the least busy goalkeeper in the top flight by saves made, with just 37 all season. That's a reflection of how well-organised Arsenal's defence has been rather than a knock on Raya himself. Although it does mean Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City has arguably been tested far more severely while putting together his own strong numbers.

Donnarumma, signed from PSG in the summer, has made 54 saves compared to Raya's 37 despite sitting second in the clean sheet charts with 11. City have not been as watertight defensively as Arsenal this season, which means their goalkeeper has had considerably more work to do. His save percentage and shot-stopping stats make a strong case for him being the more impressive performer on a week-to-week basis.

Find all the key stats and performers with Match Bingo

Clean sheets don't get celebrated the way goals do. But they win points, titles, and keep clubs in divisions. 

Keep track of all the key stats and performances throughout the season. Download now!