Ranking the 10 best goalkeepers in the Premier League

With the 2016-17 Premier League season well underway, theScore is ranking the best players on offer at various positions on the pitch so far.

• 10 best centre-backs in the Premier League (Nov. 17)
• 10 best full-backs in the Premier League (Nov. 18)
• 10 best midfielders in the Premier League (Nov. 19)
• 10 best wingers in the Premier League (Nov. 20)
• 10 best forwards in the Premier League (Nov. 21)

Naturally, we begin with the men between the sticks.

10. Jordan Pickford - Sunderland

Freed from the bench following an early-season injury to incumbent starter Vito Mannone, 22-year-old Jordan Pickford has established himself as one of the Premier League's brightest shot-stoppers. After a shaky opening to the campaign - the youngster's blunder allowed Southampton to earn a late draw in his first start of the year - Pickford has shone for the Black Cats despite being "protected" by a shambolic backline.

He stole the show against Bournemouth, making a handful of wonderful saves as Sunderland finally claimed its first win of the season; and he received a glowing endorsement from peer Hugo Lloris, who called the Englishman "amazing" after he stood on his head at White Hart Lane.

9. Adrian - West Ham

Regression hit West Ham like a freight train to start the new campaign, as the Hammers went from challenging for the Champions League last season to withering in the bottom half of the table in 2016-17.

With the talent on offer, however, the London-based side should be able to pull itself back up to a respectable position, and Adrian figures to be an enormous part of that resurgence. The Spaniard's numbers are shoddy considering the dire state of the backline in front of him, but he remains a solid shot-stopper whose rapid reflexes are among the best in the division.

8. Steve Mandanda - Crystal Palace

After nearly a decade spent minding the net for French colossus Marseille, veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda made a cut-price move to Selhurst Park this summer, the 31-year-old moving for a mere £1.5 million.

His adjustment to life in the Premier League hasn't been exactly seamless, but manager Alan Pardew has continuously waxed lyrical about the abilities of his new goalkeeper, highlighting, in particular, his ball-playing skills and calm demeanour between the sticks.

7. Kasper Schmeichel - Leicester City

Currently sidelined as he waits for a broken hand to mend, Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel continued to show early in the campaign why he was equally as vital to the club's historic title triumph last season as any of the Foxes' noteworthy outfield players.

Commanding in the penalty area and owning razor reflexes that would make his old man proud, Schmeichel's return can't come quickly enough for a Leicester side that is enduring an extended post-title hangover.

6. Claudio Bravo - Manchester City

Claudio Bravo has struggled since his move to Manchester City. Of that, there is no question. His tenure with the club got off to a rocky start in the derby against United, and his critics were given additional ammunition when he made an embarrassing blunder against former side Barcelona in the Champions League - that the mistake came with his feet, the very reason he was brought to the Etihad, only exacerbated the condemnation.

Replacing Joe Hart was always going to bring with it intense scrutiny - especially considering the unceremonious manner in which Pep Guardiola jettisoned the Englishman off to Italy - but Bravo, a perfectly solid goalkeeper, hasn't done himself any favours thus far. It can only get better from here, right?

5. Fraser Forster - Southampton

The man-mountain known as Fraser Forster has recovered impressively from a potentially debilitating injury - he broke his knee cap in the latter stages of last season - and is once again tending the net for one of the Premier League's staunchest defences. The Hexham native, 28, forms an imposing partnership with central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte, giving Southampton a collection of backline talent that is equal parts commanding and physically imposing.

Any dip in form from England No. 1 Joe Hart could open the door for Forster to assume the role as the Three Lions' preferred choice in goal.

4. Petr Cech - Arsenal

The Premier League's all-time leader in clean sheets (182), Petr Cech has added a dominant presence between the posts that Arsenal was desperately yearning for prior to his arrival last season; after the likes of Vito Mannone, Lukasz Fabianski, Wojciech Szczesny, and David Ospina rolled through north London, the 34-year-old Czech has finally solidified the position.

Credit to Ospina, who has put forth some stellar showings in the Champions League this season - rebuilding the damage done to his reputation in previous years - but there is no debating that Cech consistently gives the Gunners the best chance to win. Whether he's actually worth the "12 to 15 points a season" that John Terry proclaimed when he left Stamford Bridge, however, is another matter.

3. Hugo Lloris - Tottenham

Captain for both club and country, Hugo Lloris is the archetypal modern goalkeeper; gifted with his feet, able - and certainly willing - to be the launching pad from where his side's attack begins, you get the sense the Frenchman could easily swap his brightly coloured kit for that of an outfield teammate and blend in seamlessly.

That's not to take away from his talent between the sticks, of course. The dexterous 29-year-old is finally getting the respect he deserves after years of flying criminally under the radar, and is firmly in the conversation as one of the world's best at his position. Tottenham's stingy backline isn't entirely down to Lloris' exploits, but having him back there to negate any errors has certainly helped in making Spurs arguably the best defensive team in England.

2. Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea

Like the rest of his teammates, towering Chelsea custodian Thibaut Courtois endured a miserable campaign in 2015-16 - beginning with a red card on the opening day of the season that ultimately set the tone for his year. There were questions about his future at Stamford Bridge, particularly as supporters watched Petr Cech thrive at Arsenal.

But the big Belgian, 24, has rebounded emphatically this season, and once again looks the dominant force that the Blues were expecting when they brought him to west London in 2014 after a three-year loan stint in Madrid. An absolute colossus at 6-foot-7, the rangy shot-stopper is a commanding presence in the penalty area, and uses every inch of his massive frame to make fingertip saves many peers can only dream of.

1. David De Gea - Manchester United

The undisputed No. 1 netminder in England's top flight, David De Gea is making a very real push to assume the mantle as the planet's best shot-stopper. Winner of Manchester United's player of the season award for three consecutive years, the man whose exploits are commemorated with a banner in the Stretford End - "Dave Saves" has become a popular refrain around Old Trafford - is the only Red Devil who has consistently covered himself in glory during the club's recent decline from the upper echelon of the table.

Just how far could United have fallen without the elastic 26-year-old? Thankfully for the club's supporters, they don't have to entertain that question.