Premier League clean sheet leaders 2025/26

David Raya led the 2025/26 Premier League clean sheet leaders with 19, and he is the right name to hold the top spot because his club kept the most clean sheets in the division. Arsenal shut opponents out 19 times in 38 matches, Man City came next on 16, and Raya was on the pitch for all 19 of Arsenal's. This guide explains how the clean sheet leaderboard is counted, lists last season's leaders, and argues that the stat tells you more about a system than about the player wearing the number. All numbers are from the completed 2025/26 season.

How clean sheets are counted

A clean sheet is a match in which a team does not concede a goal. The league runs 20 clubs, each side plays 38 matches, and that makes 380 fixtures per season, so every team gets the same 38-game chance to build a defensive record. The leaderboard sorts most clean sheets first, and where totals are level the player who needed fewer minutes ranks higher, which keeps the board honest about efficiency.

The quirk that most people miss is that a clean sheet is credited to every player who takes part in the match, not just the goalkeeper. That is why midfielders and even forwards appear high on the list. It also means the leaderboard tracks the team's defensive work as much as the individual's: if your side keeps 19 shutouts, every regular starter collects them too. The board resets to zero at the start of each campaign, so these rows belong to 2025/26 only.

For Fantasy Premier League managers the stat matters because of how it is priced. A clean sheet is worth 4 points for a goalkeeper or defender but only 1 for a midfielder, which is the exact split our FPL scoring guide explains in full.

The 2025/26 Premier League clean sheet leaders

These are the players who finished at the top of last season's board, with appearances and minutes shown because minutes break the ties.

Rank	Player	Club	Position	Clean sheets	Appearances	Minutes
1	David Raya	Arsenal	Goalkeeper	19	37	3,330
2	Gabriel	Arsenal	Defender	18	32	2,751
3	Declan Rice	Arsenal	Midfielder	18	36	3,099
4	Martín Zubimendi	Arsenal	Midfielder	16	38	3,001
5	William Saliba	Arsenal	Defender	15	31	2,615
6	Gianluigi Donnarumma	Man City	Goalkeeper	15	34	3,060
7	Nico O'Reilly	Man City	Defender	14	34	2,648
8	Riccardo Calafiori	Arsenal	Defender	13	26	1,707
9	Jurriën Timber	Arsenal	Defender	13	30	2,457
10	Rúben Dias	Man City	Defender	12	26	2,161
11	Bukayo Saka	Arsenal	Midfielder	12	31	2,225
12	Viktor Gyökeres	Arsenal	Forward	12	36	2,254
13	Matheus Nunes	Man City	Defender	12	34	2,865
14	Tyrick Mitchell	Crystal Palace	Defender	12	38	3,253

Nine of the top fourteen rows are Arsenal players, and the top four spots all belong to the league champions. Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell is the only name from outside the top two clubs.

What the numbers say

The board is a mirror of the title race. Arsenal finished first on 85 points and conceded 27 goals; Man City finished second on 78 and conceded 35. That eight-goal gap at the back is worth more than the seven-point margin suggests, because clean sheets compound: every shutout is a match you cannot lose.

Here is the claim people argue about. This leaderboard is a team stat wearing individual names. Declan Rice, a holding midfielder, finished third on 18 clean sheets, ahead of every Man City defender and level with Gabriel. Rice did not out-defend anyone; he played in an Arsenal team that kept 18 shutouts while he was on the pitch. Donnarumma's 15 for Man City look like a strong season until you notice his club conceded 35. And Crystal Palace kept 12 clean sheets while finishing 15th with 51 goals against, which proves you can stack shutouts and still have a bad season. Read the leaderboard as a team ranking and it makes sense; read it as a goalkeeper ranking and it misleads.

The minutes column does heavy lifting. Zubimendi played all 38 matches for 16 clean sheets, while Calafiori hit 13 from just 26 appearances and 1,707 minutes. Saliba beat Donnarumma to fifth on the tiebreak because he needed 2,615 minutes to the Italian's 3,060. Same total, and the less used player ranks higher, which is how the board stays honest about who produced the most clean sheets per minute.

Why the team matters more than the player

The best predictor of next season's clean sheet leaders is the club, not the name. Raya, Gabriel and Rice all feed off the same Arsenal structure, and a defender's or goalkeeper's clean sheet tally rarely survives a move to a worse defensive side. For Fantasy Premier League managers this is the practical takeaway: 4 points for a goalkeeper or defender clean sheet means the cheap defender in a strong side often outpoints the premium name in a leaky one. Our guide to clean sheet odds looks at how managers price that gap, and it is worth pairing with the FPL scoring guide before you commit to any goalkeeper.

Key takeaways

• David Raya led the 2025/26 Premier League clean sheet leaders with 19 in 37 appearances, matching Arsenal's team total of 19.
• Nine of the top fourteen spots were Arsenal players; the top four rows all belonged to the champions.
• Arsenal conceded 27 in 38 matches and won on 85 points, seven clear of Man City's 78.
• Rice finished third on 18 clean sheets as a midfielder, the strongest evidence that the stat belongs to the team.
• Crystal Palace kept 12 clean sheets, finished 15th and conceded 51, so shutouts are a ceiling, not a season grade.

FAQ

Who had the most clean sheets in the Premier League in 2025/26?

David Raya, with 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Arsenal. Gabriel and Declan Rice were next on 18.

Do midfielders count for clean sheets?

Yes. A clean sheet is credited to every player who takes part in the match, which is why Declan Rice finished on 18 and Bukayo Saka on 12. In Fantasy Premier League a midfielder's clean sheet is worth 1 point, against 4 for a goalkeeper or defender.

Which team kept the most clean sheets in 2025/26?

Arsenal, with 19, ahead of Man City on 16. The champions conceded 27 goals across their 38 matches.

Why did Crystal Palace have 12 clean sheets but finish 15th?

Because clean sheets measure a team's best days, not its season. Palace kept 12 shutouts and still conceded 51 goals in 38 matches, which is why the Premier League clean sheet leaders board is a system stat more than a quality ranking.