Illan Meslier

Meslier comes for crosses that a more cautious goalkeeper would leave for a defender, trusting his reach and timing to clear the danger himself rather than wait for it to arrive. His reflexes are sharp and explosive, getting low early to push a shot around the post rather than simply reacting to where it ends up. That willingness to leave his line and dominate his own box gives the defenders ahead of him real confidence.

The tension is that an aggressive, commanding goalkeeper occasionally misjudges a cross he was better off leaving, turning a routine ball into a genuine chance. That kind of mistake stands out far more than a save does, simply because the alternative looks so much safer by comparison. Whether the extra crosses claimed are worth the occasional misjudged one is the trade he has to answer for.