Batman needs Robin and so do Sunderland!: Is the Dutch shotstopper now among the best in the league?

Robin Roefs has Sunderland flying high. (Image credits - Heute, License Details)

It was predicted that Sunderland would find it quite difficult to stay in the top flight for more than a year. It has been three seasons since three newly promoted teams – Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth – managed to cement their position in the top flight. 

Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town all did the yo-yo from the Championship to the Premier League, which further added doubts regarding Sunderland’s chances of staying up this season.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Black Cats are 7th in the table after 8 games, winning 4 games and losing just 2. Although the newly promoted side haven't been scoring many goals as compared to the others, they've been rock solid at the back, conceding just 6 goals so far.

The biggest reason for their massive success defensively is their Dutch no. 1, Robin Roefs, who has already become a fan favourite at the Stadium of Light. 

Relegated teams in the past conceded too many goals, and as per stats collected via Fotmob, clubs are less likely to be relegated if they're conceding less than 70 goals in a season. The current bottom three – West Ham, Wolves and Burnley – are highly anticipated to concede more than 70 goals this season.

Sunderland have conceded an xG (expected goals) of just 9.7, only behind six teams in the league, and have conceded just 6 so far, which proves that Robin has been saving Sunderland between the sticks at the Stadium of Light.

Is Sunderland's Robin Roefs the best goalkeeper in the Premier League right now?

Among the well-established goalkeepers in the league, Robin Roefs is stepping up the charts and is a top contender to win the Golden Gloves next year. The 22-year-old faces stern competition from Alisson Becker, who is out injured right now, David Raya and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

As per the stats recorded, Robin has been better than these three top goalies so far, and if he can continue his form, he might even cement his spot at the 2026 World Cup for the Dutch national side.

The Dutchman has already achieved four clean sheets, trailing only Nick Pope and David Raya by one at the top. He has also recorded 3.4 saves per 90, which is the third highest by any keeper in the English top flight.

The young lad also boasts a staggering 82% save percentage, only behind Raya, and he has prevented 3 goals so far, the highest a keeper has prevented in the league so far, which also includes a penalty save against Brentford.

As per Opta, he has kept 4 out of 5 shots attempted at him, which is higher than 99% of goalkeepers across Europe. These stats do not lie and clearly show how important Robin has been for Sunderland this season.

With the World Cup coming up next year, he could make it to the United States with such consistent performances. However, he will face tough competition from Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen and Leverkusen keeper Mark Flekken; although he boasts much higher stats than his competitors so far.