Man Utd become first club to reach huge Premier League milestone after Everton win

Andre Onana saved his fifth Premier League clear sheet of the season in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, a sport outlined by Alejandro Garnacho’s surprise aim and an announcement Kobbie Mainoo efficiency on his first league begin.

A shutout towards an Everton aspect struggling close to the mistaken finish of the desk even earlier than a shock 10-point deduction for breaching monetary guidelines may ordinarily be comparatively unremarkable.

But, for Onana, it is going to be one other confidence booster after a shaky begin to his United profession following a giant cash summer time switch for Inter. Already, the Cameroon worldwide is joint chief on this season’s Golden Glove race alongside Nick Pope and Sam Johnstone.

In the broader context, it was United’s five hundredth clear sheet within the Premier League period, reaching the landmark quantity nicely forward of their conventional rivals.

United have had loads of established quantity ones all through the final 31 years, beginning with Peter Schmeichel – considered one of simply 13 abroad gamers within the Premier League when the brand new competitors started in August 1992. The Dane presided over United’s first Premier League clear sheet, though a poor begin to the season meant it did not come till the fourth sport – a 1-0 away win at Southampton.

When Schmeichel determined to go away Old Trafford in 1999, citing his incapacity to sustain with the calls for of enjoying on the very highest degree, United struggled to substitute him. Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi and former back-up Raimond van der Gouw all had spells as first selection, earlier than 1998 World Cup winner Fabien Barthez arrived in the summertime of 2000.

The Frenchman had undoubted highs at United, however he was inconsistent and inclined to the occasional error or a number of – Highbury in November 2001, anybody? – and ended up being changed as a starter by little identified American stopper Tim Howard in 2003. Athough he would go on to become a Premier League legend with Everton, Howard’s stint was additionally a bit like a rollercoaster and he ended up in a battle for the gloves with Roy Carroll that hardly impressed confidence within the defence in entrance of them.

Six years after Schmeichel’s exit, United lastly managed to substitute him when Edwin van der Sar arrived from Fulham in 2005. At 34, it appeared it could solely be a short-term answer, however the Dutchman, who United had truly needed again in 1999 however misplaced out to Juventus, was a dependable and calming presence for the subsequent six years. During 2008/09, he even went an astonishing 1,311 minutes within the Premier League with out conceding to set a brand new world document. Tomasz Kuszczak was back-up.

When Van der Sar hung up his gloves aged 40 in 2011, United had already recognized their subsequent star. David de Gea was simply 20 when he arrived for £18.9m from Atletico Madrid however, regardless of early struggles and sharing duties with Anders Lindegaard, who had vowed not to simply sit on the bench at Old Trafford and choose his nostril, the Spaniard was the perfect on the planet by 2014.

United very almost offered De Gea to Real Madrid in 2015, at which level Sergio Romero was getting the nod due to the uncertainty, however failure to file the paperwork due to a fax machine scuppered the deal. De Gea’s kind after 2018 went in peaks and troughs and the choice was made in 2023 not to renew his contract, permitting him to go away after 12 years and pursuing Andre Onana as a substitute.

*Career with Man Utd pre-dates begin of Premier League period in 1992

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