Who Is Better: Simon Mignolet or Tim Krul?

Two of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers will be on show Saturday at St. James’ Park, as Tim Krul of Newcastle United goes head to head with Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet.

Belgian Mignolet has been in outstanding form for the Reds since his £9 million switch from Sunderland, while Dutchman Krul is now in his fourth season as the Magpies’ No. 1.

Both internationals, both the same height and both 25 years old, the two share a number of similarities and are hoping to represent their respective countries for years to come.

So as they prepare to clash on Tyneside, we dig deep to discover which of them is the better goalkeeper.

All figures and stats courtesy of squawka.com.

Simon Mignolet

Age: 25

Place of birth: Sint-Truiden, Belgium

Height: 6'4"


Clubs: Sint-Truiden (2006-10): 104 appearances; Sunderland (2010-13): 101 appearances; Liverpool (2013): nine appearances


Internationals: 12 appearances

Total matches: 226

Having progressed through the ranks with his hometown club Sint-Truiden, Simon Mignolet graduated to the first team in 2006 and went on to make the goalkeeper’s position his own.

In four seasons with the Flemish club, the stopper racked up over 100 appearances before earning a move to the Premier League with Sunderland three years ago.

Tim Krul

Age: 25

Place of birth: The Hague, Netherlands

Height: 6'4"


Clubs: Falkirk (loan, 2007-08): 26 appearances; Carlisle United (loan, 2008-09): nine appearances; Newcastle United (2006-date): 115 appearances


Internationals: Five appearances

Total matches: 155

Much like Mignolet, Tim Krul quickly made an impression with his hometown club ADO Den Haag, but left before reaching the Eredivisie side’s senior starting XI.

Scouted by Newcastle as a 17-year-old, Toon boss Glenn Roeder moved quickly to bring the ‘keeper to Tyneside, and apart from useful loan spells with Falkirk and Carlisle United, the Dutchman has been there ever since.

On this season’s evidence, there is very little between the two goalkeepers when it comes to claiming the ball and punching it clear—though Mignolet has performed the latter eight times more than his Newcastle counterpart.

The Liverpool stopper has successfully made the ball his own from the likes of crosses and corners 21 times this term with two failures, giving him a success rate of 91 percent.

However, Krul comes out on top in this category, with 23 successful claims and just one failure, giving him a superior ratio of 96 percent.

Winner: Krul

Only Cardiff City’s David Marshall has made more saves than Mignolet this season, and it is the Liverpool man who is ahead of Krul by some four stops at this early stage.

The Belgian has made a total of 22 saves in the Reds’ seven league games, with Krul joining a list of four other top-flight goalkeepers on 18.

Both are renowned for their shot-stopping abilities, and they proved as much on the opening weekend of the 2013-14 campaign.

Mignolet denied Stoke from the penalty spot on his Anfield debut and also produced a stunning follow-up save, while Krul made a string of smart stops at Manchester City despite ending up on the losing side.

Winner: Mignolet

Once again, there is very little separating Krul and Mignolet when it comes to their distribution percentages, with the Dutchman just edging ahead after seven games.

The Liverpool keeper enjoys a 57 percent success rate, with 138 attempts finding a teammate compared with 103 failures, including kicks from his hands and goal-kicks.

Krul, on the other hand, has a success rate of 61 percent, and while he too has distributed the ball successfully 138 times, his errors are restricted to just 88 attempts.

Winner: Krul  

In the 630 minutes of Premier League football played so far by both Mignolet and Krul, it is the Liverpool ‘keeper that has registered more clean sheets—but only just.

Liverpool’s shutouts against Stoke City, Aston Villa and Manchester United this term have seen the Belgian join the likes of Petr Cech, Tim Howard and Joe Hart on three.

But Newcastle and Krul have managed to keep the opposition out just twice so far, meaning Mignolet has the slimmest of advantages.

Winner: Mignolet

In the only category where there is a clear winner, it is Liverpool and Mignolet who come out on top in the battle of the goals-against column.

The Merseysiders have conceded just five times in their seven Premier League games, while Krul has picked the ball out of Newcastle United’s net on 12 occasions.

While a goalkeeper is often only as good as the defence in front of him, such a difference explains the Reds’ success and their lofty league position.

Winner: Mignolet

In terms of the basics of goalkeeping, there is very little difference between Simon Mignolet and Tim Krul—two outstanding stoppers amongst the very best in the Premier League.

It is perhaps only Liverpool’s blistering start to the campaign that gives Mignolet the edge, but that is more a reflection of Brendan Rodgers’ team rather than any individual.

Krul has had to endure some spectacular collapses from his defence this term—not least against Manchester City, Hull City and Everton—but his reputation remains fully intact.

And had the Magpies avoided such meltdowns, the already slight differences between the two could be even smaller.