Why Phallon is the best goalkeeper
Manchester United Women fans probably don’t need numbers to tell them how much of an impact Phallon Tullis-Joyce has made since she was handed her Barclays WSL debut 12 months ago.
Tullis-Joyce, signed in the summer of 2023, had huge gloves to fill when replacing the legendary Mary Earps as the Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper.
She’s fulfilled that task superbly, helping Marc Skinner’s side into the Champions League and claiming numerous individual honours, including the Golden Glove and the club’s Players’ Player of the Year prize.
So, while it’s clear how important the American has become for Marc Skinner’s side, delving into the stats further emphasises her impressive role.
Four minutes of Phallon making saves!
Nothing to see here: just four minutes of Phallon Tullis-Joyce making great saves…
Our friends at Opta inform us that nobody has kept as many clean sheets in the top division since 21 September 2024, when Phallon made her WSL bow.
United have played 26 league games since, including that 3-0 triumph over West Ham United, and our goal has been unbreached in 16 of them – 13 last term and three already in the current one.
Only Manchester City (twice), Arsenal and Liverpool have scored past Phallon more than once in a game during that spell.
Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton has the next-highest number of shutouts, with the 13 clean sheets kept by England’s Euros-winning keeper in 2024/25 ensuring she shared the Golden Glove with Tullis-Joyce back in May.
The United defence in front of Phallon is undeniably strong, as Maya Le Tissier and Jayde Riviere joined the US international in the PFA Team of the Year.
However, another stat from Opta shows that Tullis-Joyce is also the best keeper in the league when it comes to save percentage, among those who have played 10 games or more.
Phallon has saved 80 per cent of the on-target shots she’s faced in the WSL, again placing her clear of Hampton (79 per cent) and Arsenal’s Daphne van Domselaar, who has a 75 per cent save percentage and 11 clean sheets in this time frame.
Our no.91 was at her best in our recent goalless draw with the Gunners, as her fingertip save from Olivia Smith helped secure the Player of the Match award.
“There aren’t many keepers who make those saves, and we’ve got one who can,” said Skinner.
“I’ve said it many times, we have the best goalkeeper. The shame is that, over time, it almost becomes something you expect from her, because of the high levels she’s set.
“To be present in the moment, when we need her, was a key sign of the top-quality goalkeeper that we have.”