The Undisputed Number One

It has been quite the transformation for Bain from unwanted at now relegated Dundee to number one for the eight-time champions and on the verge of another Treble. The biggest compliment is that there isn’t even a debate anymore concerning the goalkeeping position. Bain in on the majority of fans’ team sheets.

Does the data support this?

Save Data

Clean sheet statistics are always welcome for ‘keepers but are not the most accurate reflection of individual performance, reflecting the collective. Similarlly, the oft quoted Save % and Number of Saves is more indicative of the relative strength of a team. Indeed, ‘keepers from teams lower in the league will generally perform better by those metrics.

Of course, this data has relevance in comparing different players from the same team as the level of opposition will be similar.

For the record Gordon has conceded 27 in 32 matches and Bain 11 in 30. Gordon played in all the European matches other than the Valencia ties, however.

Bain also makes more saves – 2 per 90m compared to 1.88 for Gordon. What is surprising is the gap in Save % - the % of all shots on target saved:

This does not tell you about the quality of the shots saved however. For that I measure the xG total of the shots saved per 90m:

Bain has a slight advantage in that his saves are expected to result in 0.05 of a goal per 90m than those saved by Gordon.

As mentioned above, Gordon has conceded 0.84 goals per game compared to only 0.37 per game with Bain in net. If we again consider the xG quality of all the shots on target in comparison:

What this shows is that Bain has conceded 0.37 goals per 90m but based on the xG quality of the shots on target, he would have been expected to concede 0.616.

Conversely, Gordon has conceded 0.84 goals per 90m but was only expected to concede 0.741.

Clear advantage Bain!

Distribution

Passing out from the back was always a feature Gordon tried hard to master but it never came naturally. The smaller, more agile Bain is comfortable with the modern requirement to pass from the back.

Bain completes 20.93 passes from open play per 90m compared to 18.47 but if we look at pass completion % there is quite a gulf:

8% is a hefty difference for passing data for players in the same position.

Bain also plays more penetrative forward passes. He completes 2.2 Pack Passes per 90m compared to 1.63 by Gordon.

Errors

Goalkeeping errors tend to be costly, as Bain found out against Heart of Midlothian last time out. But again, over the season, Gordon is averaging 0.25 Defensive Errors per 90m compared to Bain’s 0.16.

Conclusion

Across all the key goalkeeping metrics Bain demonstrates an irrefutable case for being Number One.

Not many would have predicted that at the start of this very odd season!