Sam Johnstone

Johnstone's game is built on the spectacular rather than the routine, producing a reaction save at full stretch when a shot looks certain to go in. He came through a long apprenticeship of loan spells before establishing himself, which shaped a goalkeeper who reads pressure situations calmly rather than panicking under a late chance. Big stoppage time saves have followed him through his career, the kind that swing a result in the final minute when a team has nothing left to give.

Shot stopping specialists like this occasionally draw criticism for command of the box or distribution rather than reflexes, since the eye catching save gets remembered far more than a routine catch that never happens. The tension is whether he commands his area with the same confidence he shows making the spectacular stop. Watch how often crosses get dealt with cleanly rather than parried back into danger, because that balance defines a genuinely complete goalkeeper.