Former Borussia Dortmund and Australia goalkeeper Mitch Langerak has taken the J1 League by storm since joining Nagoya Grampus in 2018.
If making history for most clean sheets in Japan's top flight was not enough in 2020, Langerak broke his own record through just 28 matches this season – 18.
No stranger to breaking records, Langerak also eclipsed the mark for most consecutive J1 League clean sheets with nine earlier in 2021.
Third-placed Nagoya have conceded just 22 goals after 29 rounds – a figure only bettered by leaders Kawasaki Frontale, while Langerak has kept four clean sheets for the 2010 J1 League winners en route to the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
Speaking to Stats Perform ahead of Wednesday's trip to FC Tokyo, Langerak said: "We're a very strong team at the moment. Obviously it helps when we have a strong mentality within the group and a good bunch of guys who are really working together for the team's benefit, whether that is going forward or back.
"I think it's a complete team effort. I don't really count clean sheets or worry too much about them because I tend to look at my performances as a whole. I can be equally as happy if I concede one goal but done so many good things as opposed to not doing a lot but keeping a clean sheet. I try to look at my game as a whole and continually try to improve on the things I don't do so well."
Since leaving LaLiga's Levante for Nagoya three years ago, Langerak has registered the most clean sheets (50) for a goalkeeper.
Langerak has conceded 0.76 goals per game in J1 League this season. Since 2015, Cerezo Osaka's Kim Jin-hyeon in 2019 (0.74) is the only goalkeeper to boast a better average of goals conceded per game in a season than the Australian.
Nagoya have not conceded in 18 of their 29 league fixtures this term. If Massimo Ficcadenti's men keep another clean sheet, they will surpass the 1995 Yokohama F.Marinos (18 in 52 league matches at the time) for the most shutouts in J1 history.
"In the last couple of years, I've really started to enjoy my football a lot more. Really been a lot calmer and relaxed about my game," Langerak said. "Looking at my performances as a whole and not only worrying about making saves or clean sheets or goals conceded. Just trying to do all the small things right.
"One of the biggest things is controlling balls in the air. These days I come out for more or less everything. Getting a good punch as much as I can or taking clean crosses. Getting out and dominating the box so much more than when I was a bit younger. That's the biggest thing I've changed. I've realised I'm stopping a lot of goals purely by getting balls of out of the box that get put in from the sides."
This season, Langerak has a save percentage of 72.15 – he finished with a 72.55 percentage at the end of 2020.
The 33-year-old's save percentage in the penalty box (66.67) is currently a career high in the J1 League.
For punches, Langerak (26) is second only to Avispa Fukuoka goalkeeper Masaaki Murakami (30).
In terms of clearances (including punches), Langerak ranks fourth among goalkeepers this season with 35, behind Kashiwa Reysol's Kim Seung-gyu.
His clearances and punches numbers have both increased since 2018-19 – Langerak's 35 clearances are a personal best in the J1 League, while his 26 punches are equal with his previous best last season.
"I'm always looking at the stats and data. Watching footage of opposition players. Regularly looking at everything after games – my own ball contacts, passing accuracy. Things like this I'm interested in," added Langerak.
"Obviously a huge effect comes from the way your team plays. So for a goalkeeper, with passing stats, it's generally determined by how your team plays. If you're playing out then you're going to have a lot of short passes that are 100 per cent successful or if you're a team that maybe plays longer balls or doesn't tend to take risks at the back, you might play long balls to your striker where your passing accuracy is a little off.
"In terms of opposition, I look at the expected front four, highlights, where they've scored their goals, where they're dangerous, what they like to do – right foot, left foot. I try not to go into too much depth, just a four-minute snapshot video."
Coventry City 2-3 Hull City: Tigers win five-goal thriller to keep play-off hopes alive
Hull City kept their hopes of gatecrashing the Championship play-offs alive with a thrilling 3-2 win over beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City on Wednesday.
Noah Ohio scored the winner with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute as Hull moved within three points of sixth-placed Norwich City with two games to play.
Coventry, meanwhile, saw their own hopes of returning to Wembley Stadium for a second successive play-off final all but ended, as they sit six points further back with three matches remaining.
Three days on from their remarkable comeback against Manchester United, the Sky Blues twice fought back to level things at Coventry Building Society Arena. Jaden Philogene's shot squirmed under goalkeeper Bradley Collins to put Hull ahead 31 minutes in, but Kasey Palmer levelled within five minutes with a stunning free-kick.
Hull went back ahead in controversial circumstances on the stroke of half-time, Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho converting from the penalty spot despite replays showing Joel Latibeaudiere's foul on Liam Delap took place outside the area.
Mark Robins' men again dragged themselves back into the game as Bobby Thomas headed Jay Dasilva's cross in just before the hour mark, but it was Liam Rosenior's visitors who found a winner.
Thomas went from hero to villain as his poor back pass sold Collins short, and Ohio got a toe to the ball to score the winner, keeping Hull's hopes of Premier League football intact.
Van Dijk: Liverpool have 'no chance' in title race after derby defeat
Virgil van Dijk conceded Liverpool might be out of the Premier League title race after they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in either half to give the Toffees their first win over Liverpool at Goodison Park since 2010.
Liverpool struggled to find a way through the Toffees' defence despite dominating for long periods, and the Reds' captain says they will not outlast Arsenal and Manchester City without major improvements.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "If we play like today, then we have no chance to consider ourselves in the title race.
"We have to just focus on the next game and that will be a tough one anyway, so we will see.
"We're very disappointed, in so many ways. I think everyone has to look at their own performances. Did they really give everything, and do they really want to win the league?
"We're still fighting and there are still games after tonight, but if we play like we did overall in the game today – not winning challenges and giving the referee a chance to give free-kicks like he did many times, then you have no chance to win the title."
Howe: Newcastle performance in Palace defeat 'way off' Spurs win
Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.
Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.
Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.
"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.
"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.
"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."
Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.
Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.
"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.
The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.
Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).
It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.
"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."
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