Is Jose Sa underrated?
With the Premier League seasonal the business end of the season, a significant stat shows that a Wolves player has been one of the top performers in his position this season.
Since Gary O’Neil joined Wolves at the beginning of the campaign, he has lifted the performance of every player at the club. Despite initial predictions of a relegation battle, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now on the verge of European qualification and gearing up for an FA Cup quarter-final this weekend. Compared to the previous season, several players have really stepped up at Molineux. The team’s scoring problems have vanished with Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha shining as key players for the club. Despite the possibility of leaving in the summer, Rayan Ait-Nouri has emerged as one of the league’s top attacking fullbacks. His standout performance in the 2-1 win against Fulham highlighted his impact.
However, the unsung hero for Wolves this season has arguably been goalkeeper Jose Sa, according to the stats he has outperformed the likes of Alisson and Ederson.
This season, Sa has faced some criticism, particularly after a disappointing performance in the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle that raised doubts about his abilities. However, his recent strong showing against Fulham, where he played a crucial role in securing the win, earned him praise from Alan Shearer and highlighted his importance in Wolves’ European aspirations. Following recent performances, it’s clear that Sa may deserve more recognition for his contributions.
According to TheOther14, Sa has prevented 5.7 goals this season, ranking among the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. Only Spurs’ Guglielmo Vicario has a slightly better record with 6.1 goals prevented. This places Sa ahead of esteemed goalkeepers like Ederson from Man City (-0.2) and Liverpool’s Alisson (0.9).
Despite not receiving as much love as some other players in the squad, Sa has been instrumental in securing multiple victories for the club this season with his remarkable saves. Sa played a pivotal role in Wolves’ first Premier League win of the season, making crucial stops in the 1-0 victory over Everton that kickstarted the O’Neil era. His contributions have also been vital in Wolves’ FA Cup journey, keeping clean sheets against West Brom and Brighton en route to the quarter-finals.
Whilst his ball distribution has on many occasions been wayward the quality of his goal stopping surely means that calls for a new goalkeeper in the summer should be put to rest.
Jose Sa saving goals
Jose Sa comes top of the Premier league for the difference between Post-Shot Expected Goals (PSxG) and Goals Against
According to TheOther14, Sa has prevented 5.7 goals this season. This is easily one of the best in the Premier League. Only Spurs’ Guglielmo Vicario has done better with 6.1 goals prevented.
This puts him well above some of the most respected ‘keepers in the division such as Man City’s Ederson who has -0.2 and Liverpool’s Alisson at 0.9.
Statistics from @Other14The