Castrol Save of the Month

Every football fan around the world loves a spectacular goal, but there’s something truly special about an out-of-this-world save.

The Premier League is home to some of the game’s best goalkeepers and the first month of the 2022/23 season proved just how good some of them can be. A number of top stops were made, with a select eight making the shortlist for Castrol Save of the Month.

Here’s the eight contenders for August’s award.

Leander Dendoncker was determined to score on the opening day of the season against Leeds, but Illan Meslier had other ideas.

The Frenchman pulled out a great reflex save to tip over the Belgian’s header from a corner, but his best effort came shortly before half-time, getting down low to keep Dendoncker’s strike out from six yards.

Both moments would prove to be crucial as Leeds turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory.

Leeds would have had another goal to celebrate, had it not been for some heroics from Jose Sa in the Wolves net.

Patrick Bamford, who set up the decisive go-ahead goal for Leeds, rose highest in the penalty area and had all the time in the world to place his header, but Sa somehow managed to react immediately and got a strong hand to the effort.

Not only did he react, but he managed to push the ball away from goal and set up a routine clearance for a teammate. Crisis averted.

Newcastle’s 0-0 draw with Brighton was pretty much the Nick Pope show.

The summer signing was in the form of his life as he kept Brighton at bay, but his save to repel Adam Lallana’s header was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch.

Lallana did everything he was supposed to, sending the ball back across goal and into the ground to add a devilish bounce, but Pope tracked it every step of the way and got a strong hand to it to claw it away.

Chelsea were on top form when they hosted Tottenham and they would have been celebrating a victory if Kai Havertz could have found a way past Hugo Lloris.

A glorious team move from Chelsea saw Raheem…