“Leicester City’s HIDDEN GEM Drops JAW-DROPPING Performances That’ll Leave You SPEECHLESS!”
Despite Leicester City’s poor run of form, not every player deserves the criticism being directed at the squad
Jakub Stolarczyk’s first season as Leicester City’s number one goalkeeper may not have been entirely flawless, but it has been quietly impressive—perhaps more than many have noticed.
When a team struggles for consistency, as City currently are with just one win in seven games, every mistake is magnified, and attention tends to drift toward negatives rather than positives.
Despite this, Stolarczyk’s performances have largely stood out as a strong point amid City’s mixed form.
While he has faced some mild criticism from a section of the fanbase, it would be unfair to suggest he has been a weak link.
Some supporters pointed to Portsmouth’s equaliser last weekend, claiming he could have done better as John Swift’s strike beat him at his near post.
A few even went as far as suggesting that veteran Asmir Begovic or backup Fran Vieites should be given a chance.
However, the numbers paint a very different picture—one that casts Stolarczyk as one of the Championship’s top-performing goalkeepers this season.
According to advanced statistics measuring post-shot expected goals—a metric assessing how likely shots on target are to result in goals—Stolarczyk has prevented 4.3 more goals than expected.
That ranks him first in the entire division, ahead of former City keeper Viktor Johansson, now at Stoke City, who sits second with 3.6.
Such a figure highlights just how effective the Polish stopper has been in goal, often denying opponents in situations where most goalkeepers would have been beaten.
What makes Stolarczyk particularly impressive is his consistency.
He’s not simply producing highlight-reel saves; instead, he positions himself so well that difficult saves appear routine.
While there have been a few spectacular moments—his one-handed save to tip a shot over the bar at Charlton, for instance—his biggest strength lies in making tough stops look effortless through sound decision-making and awareness.
Naturally, comparisons to Mads Hermansen, his predecessor, are inevitable.
Hermansen set a high bar after an excellent debut season that earned him a place in the Championship’s Team of the Year, largely thanks to his exceptional distribution and composure with the ball at his feet.
Stolarczyk, although confident and capable when playing out from the back, does not yet match Hermansen’s technical quality in that department.
Yet when it comes to pure goalkeeping—particularly shot-stopping and aerial command—Stolarczyk is arguably outperforming the Dane’s standards.
At 24, Stolarczyk is only six months younger than Hermansen but entered this campaign with significantly less experience.
While Hermansen had amassed 70 appearances for Brøndby, including in European competition, Stolarczyk had just 57, many from spells in League Two or the Scottish Championship.
This relative inexperience means there remains considerable room for development in his game.
Leicester City appear to have unearthed a dependable, improving goalkeeper capable of earning the team valuable points.
As things stand, there should be little doubt that Jakub Stolarczyk fully deserves to wear the number one shirt at the King Power Stadium.
