Crystal Palace battled to a 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Saturday, and Palace Premier League debutant Dean Henderson was outstanding.
Henderson was excellent between the posts as he helped keep City at bay, and the circumstances of his performance made it even more impressive given that he has only just returned from injury.
The England international joined Palace this summer in a somewhat surprising move, given that Sam Johnstone has been impressive in goal, but he returned at the perfect time to replace the injured number one to deliver a masterclass in a tough game.
Dean Henderson sends Crystal Palace top in surprise stat
Henderson’s debut has now meant that since promotion in 2013, Palace have used the most goalkeepers in the Premier League alongside Arsenal.
A stat highlighted by Playmakerstats on X has revealed that no team has used more goalkeepers than Crystal Palace since 2013-14, with both Palace and Arsenal on 10.
Palace started life in the Premier League with Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessey, before Alex McCarthy and Steve Mandanda joined with little success, then Vincente Guaita arrived in 2018.
Jack Butland and Joe Whitworth both played backup roles before Johnstone came in and eventually took the number one spot.
Remi Matthews made his debut for the club as a substitute against Liverpool, before Henderson then became the latest goalkeeper on the list.
Crystal Palace’s goalkeeping dilemma
If Henderson continues his strong form whilst Johnstone is out, then Roy Hodgson will have a dilemma over which goalkeeper to pick when both are fit.
Johnstone has been superb this season, and also signed a new contract, but Henderson arrived for a substantial fee and is younger.
Having two first choice options rarely works, and Arsenal have shown the problems that can arise as scrutiny continues over the selection of David Raya over Aaron Ramsdale.
By the end of the season, an uncomfortable decision may need to be made over one of the goalkeepers, but for now, Palace fans will hope to enjoy what could be the start of a strong run of form for Henderson.
