De Gea made twice as many mistakes as in his previous worst season
The Spanish goalkeeper made mistakes that led to four goals conceded by Man Utd in the Premier League this season.
David De Gea's mistake helped Chelsea equalize 1-1 in the match at Old Trafford on the evening of April 28. This loss could cost Man Utd a place in the Champions League next season. They are three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with two rounds left.
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De Gea's poor form has many Man Utd fans worried. Photo:Reuters. |
Chelsea had not created any notable chances leading up to this goal. But when De Gea was tested, he failed to keep it out. Antonio Rudiger's long-range shot had good power but it was a situation any top goalkeeper could have dealt with. De Gea pushed the ball out of position for Marcos Alonso to tap in. This goal once again showed that De Gea is having mental problems.
Previously, De Gea's worst season was 2011-2012, when he first moved to Man Utd. At that time, the Spanish goalkeeper made mistakes that led to two goals. This year, his mistakes have led to Man Utd conceding four goals, double the number in the 2011-2012 season. Last season, De Gea was not even at fault for any of his team's goals. Of all goalkeepers in the Premier League, only Bernd Leno (Arsenal) and Jordan Pickford (Everton) have made more mistakes that led to goals than De Gea.
De Gea's poor form is partly the reason why Man Utd have kept the fewest clean sheets at home (two) in the Premier League this season, losing to relegated teams like Huddersfield Town and Fulham (both with three clean sheets).
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Statistics on the number of errors that led to goals conceded by De Gea over the seasons with Man Utd in the Premier League. |
This is the fourth consecutive match in all competitions where De Gea has been blamed for goals conceded by Man Utd. In the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barca, the 28-year-old goalkeeper let Lionel Messi's shot slip between his hand and the ground. At Everton, De Gea was accused of diving too slowly for Gylfi Sigurdsson's goal. In the Manchester derby, De Gea failed to stop Leroy Sane's shot despite the ball being within his control. These moves all require the goalkeeper's ability to block, which is considered De Gea's strong point.
De Gea has had some amazing performances, saving Man Utd from certain defeats. He has been a reliable stopper in the goal of the "Red Devils" for many years. Man Utd fans have become accustomed to De Gea's excellence. Therefore, they find it difficult to accept the goalkeeper's decline in form, and there have been many "blasphemous comments" aimed at De Gea on social networks.
