The Guardian’s regular ’10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend’ highlights Bernd Leno’s excellence ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Burnley at the weekend.
All of Fulham’s successful top flight sides have had a top class goalkeeper in them: the eye-catching signing of Edwin van der Sar proved critical when Jean Tigana found it tough to translate his swashbuckling football to the Premiership and Mark Schwarzer was a key player as Roy Hodgson remarkably took the Whites from relegation certainties to European finalists in less than three seasons. Marco Silva’s side have won plaudits for their style, but luring Leno from Arsenal for an initial £3m was an absolute masterstroke.
David Tindall writes:
“Only the top four in the Premier League have conceded fewer home goals than Fulham’s nine, and credit must go to Bernd Leno, whose five clean sheets this season is only bettered by three other top-flight keepers. In terms of total saves and save percentage his numbers are outstanding, and yet the German still flies under the radar.”
The German international should be a certainty for to make the national squad for the European Championships this summer and seeing him sign a new deal on the back of how much he has enjoyed his first sixteen months or so at Fulham is a real fillip.
